If you visited EarthFirst last week, you probably noticed something was amiss.

No longer. Today, EarthFirst is introducing a brand new look: brighter, greener, easier to use than before. Our eco future looks better than ever, and we wanted a community to match. Thanks to the WordPress wizardry of fellow green publisher Chris Baskind and his web team, EarthFirst is now as fresh and dynamic as its readers.

If you’re reading this via one of our feeds — in Google Reader, on iGoogle, or some other RSS client — click over to the main site and take a peek.

Faster, simpler, better

The first thing you’ll see is a cleaner, more open look. We’ve simplified the home page to make finding what’s new much easier. There’s a big, colorful features section right up top with the latest articles. Below that, you’ll see what’s still fresh and green. There’s always a cool video and cartoon in the sidebar, and quick links at the bottom to help you find what you need.

One of the biggest changes is in site performance. The old EarthFirst had gotten pretty sluggish. It’s no fun waiting for a page to load — we’re in a hurry, too — so we’ve done some things to make browsing a lot zippier. Hope you notice the difference. We’ll keep an eye on this in the future.

New ways to comment

We’ve never required you register to add your opinions to an EarthFirst article. After all, it’s a hassle to keep up with all the passwords we already have. Why add another?

Along those lines, we’ve adopted the DISQUS (it’s pronounced “discuss”) commenting system. You’ve probably already seen DISQUS-equipped sites around the web. DISQUS allows you to log into EarthFirst, and display your avatar, using many popular online identities. We currently support:

Facebook
Twitter
Yahoo IDs
OpenID

If you don’t have one of these, you can also create a DISQUS ID by registering here. This will also allow you to effortlessly comment at thousands of other blogs and websites — and keep track of those conversations, all in one easy place.

Not interested? That’s fine, too. You’ll find the usual blanks for your name, email address, and website. Comment away, no registration necessary. We will, however, permit authenticated users (people who have logged in through one of the services above) to post their comments to the EarthFirst without waiting for someone to approve their comment. Authenticated comments containing links may still be held for moderation.

Depending on your settings, DISQUS may ask if you’d like to share your comment and our article on Twitter or Facebook. We’d really appreciate this — it helps grow EarthFirst, and gets the word out about green news and causes.

What do you think?

EarthFirst is still a work in progress, and we’ll be adding more content and features to the site through the coming weeks. What would you like to see? A forum, perhaps? Maybe a marketplace, with EarthFirst-reviewed goods worthy of greening your life? Maybe there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in more details.

We want your feedback. Try out the new comment system and sound-off below!

Judging from its launch press release, the Bloom Box “energy server” is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

And perhaps it is. After months of media speculation, Bloom Energy finally took the wraps off its fuel cell technology last week at a press conference featuring such luminaries as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. Heavy hitters, to be sure, trotted out to add credence to company’s claim that their new Bloom Box centers will soon provide “clean, reliable, and affordable power 24/7.” Who wouldn’t want that?

What the Bloom Box does

Bloom says its fuel cells convert a number of fuel sources — natural gas or biogas, for instance — into energy through an electrochemical process. This sounds a lot cleaner and sexier than combustion methods of power generation, and Bloom promises to deliver compact 100 kilowatt units in a footprint not much bigger than an automobile parking spot.

The idea is to build decentralized networks of Bloom Boxes, each powering small groups of buildings. Since power transmission is inherently inefficient, the concept moves us one step closer to the nirvana of an “energy internet,” where nodes share and generate energy, not just consume it.

But wait a minute …

With claims like this (and an optimistic launch report by CBS’ 60 Minutes), it’s no surprise that mainstream media reports have been little short of gushing. But not so fast, says Hank Green of the popular CleanTech blog EcoGeek. Despite Bloom Energy’s rosy press release (linked PDF download), there remain some nagging inconsistencies:

The Bloom cell really only runs on one kind of fuel: methane. Where it’s sourced is irrelevant.
The first Bloom energy servers will be ferociously expensive. Claims of quick returns on investment seem unlikely.
Bloom says its cells are even cleaner than renewable sources, such as wind and solar energy. This is patently false.

Hank is still a big fan of Bloom Energy, and we’re looking forward to seeing how this technology develops, too. Read the rest of his comments at EcoGeek. You can see the 60 Minutes Bloom Box report below.

The death of Sea World Orlando orca trainer Dawn Brancheau has revived the question of whether or not it is ethical — or even safe — to keep killer whales in captivity.

Brancheau died from drowning and injuries sustained Wednesday when Tilikum, a massive 12,000 pound male orca, grabbed the highly experienced marine mammal handler during a public talk at the popular Florida park. Rescue workers were forced to pen and lift Tillikum from the water to recover Brancheau’s body. While park visitors report that the orcas seemed “agitated” prior to the incident, the precise cause of the attack will probably never be known.

Is it time to free Willy?

Captive Orcas are sometimes released back into the wild. Keiko, the performing orca who portrayed the subject of the 1993 movie Free Willy, was returned to the Icelandic waters from which he was taken after an exhaustive effort to make him ready for freedom. Though Keiko eventually migrated to Norway, he never fully integrated into wild orca pods, despite continuing care by wildlife managers.

Whatever Tillikum’s future, it almost certainly will not include release. Captivity takes a toll on orcas, particularly a specimen of Tilikum’s size. Years of concrete walls and steel pens have worn down his teeth to the point that trainers must rinse his jaws each morning to prevent infection, and he’s an integral part of Sea World’s breeding program.

Activist and scientists speak out

Orcas are wide-ranging animals which, in the wild, might swim up to 100 miles per day. The confines of a whale tank — no matter how large — force orcas into sedentary behavior unnatural to their species. Marine mammal specialists believe this cramped lifestyle causes a high degree of emotional and physical distress for killer whales, despite the best intentions of their handlers.

Now Jean-Michel Cousteau, son of the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, and president of the Ocean Futures Society, is speaking out. While recognizing the tragedy of Dawn Brancheau’s death, Cousteau asks whether it is time for humans to how we view killer whales.

“Maybe we, as a species, have outgrown the need to keep such wild, enormous, complex, intelligent, and free-ranging animals in captivity,” says Cousteau in the video below. “[In captivity} their behavior becomes abnormal — even pathological. Maybe we have learned all we can from keeping them captive.”

What do you think? Has our custody of orcas gone beyond scientific curiosity, to mere exploitation? Is it time to set the orcas free?

Post image by Flickr user suneko under a Creative Commons license

Want to be a force for positive change – and look good doing it? A company called Wear Your Intention, which creates organic apparel printed with messages of peace, hope, faith and love, is donating 100% of the profits of their Changing the World Limited Edition T-Shirt to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

The American Red Cross is Wear Your Intention’s Share & Care Charity of the Month. Each month, Wear Your Intention usually donates $5 from the sale of a designated product to a charity or non-profit organization whose work is focused on improving the lives of those in need. But this month, they’ve decided to give even more.

It’s all part of Wear Your Intention’s Force for Positive Change Campaign, which seeks to inspire people to be more positive – and spread that positive energy to others in the process. See the rest of the offerings (including a men’s/unisex “Peace” tee) at WearYourIntention.com.

Link [Wear Your Intention]

Walk into store full of gadgets and home goods, and you’re generally hard-pressed to find things like clocks, radios, calculators and lighting made with something other than plastic or unsustainably produced metal. If you do manage to score something made of wood, it’s probably a holdover from the paneling-obsessed 70s – not exactly stylish.

A company called Lexon is looking to put an end to that problem with minimalist, modern gadgets and home goods made from bamboo, corn plastic and LED lights. Items like the Mini Dolmen Radio, Dolmen LED light and Safe Calculator fit seamlessly into modern interiors, and are also purportedly eco-friendly (it’s unclear whether the bamboo is FSC certified, and then there are problems with corn, but we digress…)

Prices aren’t listed, but you can check out the whole collection on the Lexon Design website.

Link [Lexon Design] via [Alternative Consumer]

Since “going paperless” has proven to be a difficult challenge for so many companies despite their good intentions, printers are still an integral part of most offices. But even with waste-preventing practices in place, there’s still all that ink and wasted paper.

Enter the PrePeat, a new eco printer that uses zero ink or toner, and doesn’t even need fresh paper. With a special type of coated paper, the PrePeat can print on the same sheet again and again.

The manufacturer claims that the thermal printing head can erase the document and, in the same pass, print a new one on the same sheet without degradation in quality. No word yet on price, which will probably be considerably more than most of the printers currently on the market – but hey, once you factor in the cost of paper and ink it’ll probably be a great buy.

Link [Gadget Review] via [Pocket Lint]

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seeks a Commercial Director for its Americas Regional Office [Seattle, WA].  MSC is the world’s leading certification and eco-labeling program for wild capture fisheries. Through its certification and labelling program, the MSC contributes to reversing decline in global fish stocks by identifying and rewarding and creating marketing incentives for sustainable fisheries.

Position Overview:

The Americas Commercial Director will lead MSC’s America’s commercial outreach team to deepen and strengthen the support and engagement in the MSC program throughout the North American seafood supply chain.  This includes work with existing partners to improve their experience and satisfaction with the MSC program while also creating new partnerships that build demand for MSC-certified seafood products.

Responsibilities:

The Director is responsible for design, implementation and management of the team’s efforts in the Americas to accomplish this, working with retailers, seafood distributors, foodservice operators, processors and importers.

The Commercial Director will also be required to develop and maintain excellent relationships with other key stakeholders within the conservation community, consumer groups and relevant government agencies.

The job holder will be an integral part of the MSC Americas’ regional team and will participate in the collective management and strategic development and actions of the organization in the region and worldwide.

Qualifications:

This is a tremendously exciting role with huge potential to make a real difference. It requires poise and maturity, exceptional presentational and communication skills, extensive business experience, excellent organizational and management abilities, proven leadership skills, and the ability to manage multiple obligations simultaneously.  See MSC for the full job description and list of desired qualifications, including 10 plus years of relevant experience.

Minimum Requirements:

Must have the right to work in the U.S; able to travel on a regular basis, up to 40%, and to work irregular hours.

Compensation:  Competitive salary, dependent on experience. 3 weeks annual vacation plus 10 holidays, health, dental, long-term disability insurance, 403B retirement plan, and option to participate in Section 125 cafeteria plan.

To Apply:

Please send resume and cover letter electronically by February 19, 2010.

Contact Information:
CD@msc.org
http://www.msc.org/

Link [Green Dream Jobs]

We’re living in an increasingly green world – but that doesn’t mean the green police are coming to take away all of the fun things in life. Or are they? A series of teaser videos from automaker Audi features dorky green police that bust people for environmentally unfriendly actions – including actual police officers idling in their squad car and drinking coffee out of styrofoam cups.

The videos are a preview for a 60-second Audi commercial debuting during the Super Bowl on Sunday to plug the A3 TDI, voted Green Car of the Year by Green Car Journal – a car that’s both green and fun to drive, according to Audi.

Check out these two (the rest are available on Audi’s Green Police YouTube channel).

If you’re on Facebook, you can watch the Super bowl ad in full right now on Audi’s page.

Link [Green Police] via [TheDailyTell]

High school and college students are more ecologically aware than ever, but a desire to help the earth doesn’t have to mean giving up your passion for art, literature, education and psychology to focus on traditionally “green” careers. More and more colleges are tying the environment to every program of study, including Vermont’s Green Mountain College.

The college’s director of communications, Kevin Coburn, explained it a bit to CTI Career Search:

“We offer the traditional majors and minors that you will find at a liberal arts college, like art, biology, history, education, psychology. If you are majoring in business, you are going to be concentrating a lot on sustainable business practices, like the triple bottom line for instance,” he said. “Every student that graduates has a very deep and broad grounding in environmental topics. Over the years we have developed a student body that takes sustainability very seriously.”

That is evidenced in a number of ways on campus, among them the Renewable Energy and EcoDesign Certificate Program, or REED, which was introduced in the fall of 2009. REED allows undergraduate students of any discipline to explore the renewable energy and green building fields. Like GMC’s ELA curriculum, the program is field-based and interdisciplinary.

While it is helpful to students who plan to pursue careers in the renewable energy or green building fields, it is open to any interested student as a means of enriching their knowledge of environmental and ecological issues. Students, in addition to receiving a certificate, can gain valuable job experience through working for credit on projects with the program’s partner companies, like Solar Energy International and Yestermorrow Design/Build School.

What an awesome approach to secondary education – this is exactly the type of mindset that we need from learning institutions, to encourage unity on issues affecting the earth.

Of course, it’s not too surprising coming from Green Mountain College, which is known for being ahead of the curve. GMC already has a “progressive program” in which students define their own educational goals, and it’s also home to the first ever distance Masters program in Business Administration with a focus on sustainable business. (There’s a distance Masters program in Environmental Studies, too!)

Link [CTI Career Search]

Some day, people are going to look back at the Hummer and wonder what the hell 20th-21st century humanity was thinking. This monster of a gas-guzzling “vehicle” favored by egomaniacs peaked during the bloated years of excess just prior to the recession and now, it’s on its way to being just as antiquated as the horse cart.

At least, that’s what artist Jeremy Dean wants to convey with his new project: a $15,000 Hummer H2 annihilated with power saws to resemble “Hoover Carts”, old cars that were reclaimed as horse carts during the Great Depression.

From Dean’s blog, Back to the Futurama, via Inhabitat:

Taking the logic of the past and putting it in the context of our current economic and environmental disaster, I am making my own satirical prediction of the future- Unless we come up with alternative fuel sources and rethink our reliance on a hyper inflated consumption based economy; we may be left with no other options than to hook our cars up to a horse.

Dean hopes to sell the work of art to recoup his life savings, which he spent on the project.

For everyone who has ever flicked off a passing Hummer, the idea of going buck-wild on one with power tools has got to be pretty tantalizing. It’s like a metaphorical castration of greedy, arrogant, planet-killing assholes – a beautiful thing in the eyes of many otherwise peaceful treehuggers.

Link [Inhabitat] + [Back to the Futurama]