The boat will be fitted with generators, batteries and control systems and result in an annual savings of 100,000 gallons of fuel and 1,340 tons of CO2.

The true test is whether such moves will still happen when/if Federal money dries up.  The project received a reported $1,000,000 grant from the Feds.

Source

What’s more, the new (hardly) construction material is lighter than typical chassis materials such as steal, thereby making the vehicle even more efficient.

Other alternative materials are being used by competitors.  Aptera, a California based EV startup claims to be using a Silica-based material for chassis that can’t be dented with a sledgehammer.

Unfortunately, despite the potential success of hemp-based vehicle, U.S. laws still outlaw the growing of Hemp, despite it’s incredibly long list of industrial applications and agricultural properties.

Source: Cnet.com

The home, dubbed “Heliotrope” actually rotates to collect the maximum amount of solar energy.  With a giant solar array on the roof and eco-friendly design throughout, the home produces five-times more energy than it uses.

Of course the home also includes energy saving features such as a waste-water filtration system and a rainwater collection system on the roof.

Fit for any eco-geek, this home is just one more step on the path to environmental restoration.

What I fully expect to come from this is increased competition translating to cheaper, better electric vehicles.  As it stands, I can’t afford to pay $35,000 + for an all-electric vehicle.  I hope that soon this barrier will be removed.

Although the Chevy Volt is able to extend it’s range using a gas backup engine, GM has announced plans to roll out test fleets of all electric vehicles.  Is it the competition with the Nissan Leaf (entirely electric vehicle)?  Or is it foresight into the future auto market causing the investment?

Global tests are moving forward using several existing and new models.  A Chinese version is in place already, dubbed the Chevrolet Sail (seen above).

A GM statement indicates we can expect an influx of global sightings.  “These demo fleets will increase GM’s competitiveness in vehicle electrification by providing GM with real-world data on driving patterns, battery charging, market needs and customer acceptance while sharing costs and resources with supplier and government partners.”

So what does this mean for the real consumer?  In addition to the better technology that will surely come from such diligent testing, I hope to see this kick other auto makers in the pants and get truly competitive models on the roads.  Pretty soon the competition will change from storage space and sweet stereo to vehicle range and efficiency.  I, for one, will be waiting for the 4th or 5th generation electric vehicle to put in my garage.

The sleek looking transit center will make use of innovative, environmentally conscious designs and impressive cutting edge green technologies. A 5.4 acre garden will cover its roof serving as a city park. A circulatory system will recycle rain and greywater for not only the transit center’s use, but surrounding buildings as well. Many other eco-friendly features will be incorporated into the complex. The architectural specifications will emphasize building techniques aimed at achieving a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

San Francisco’s Transbay Transit Center will also serve to educate by “exhibiting several local ecologies and sustainability strategies, and presenting interpretive information for each.”
Learn more at Inhabit.com

Image credit: Inhabit.com

EarthTalk® is a weekly environmental column made available to our readers from the editors of

Dear EarthTalk: Which woods are OK to purchase, and which are not, in the interest of preserving forests and not harming those who depend upon them? – Jon Steiner, Boise, ID

Deforestation continues to be one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, especially in fast developing regions like South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Cutting down large numbers of trees erodes land and silts waterways, displaces native people and wildlife, and releases tons of carbon dioxide (which is stored in living wood fiber) into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Of course, wood products are essential to modern life. Without wood we wouldn’t have the buildings, furniture, paper and other essentials we make use of every day. That’s why protecting sources of wood has become a leading concern among not just environmentalists but everyone else as well.

In response to the problems wrought by increasing deforestation, some forward-thinking wood products professionals teamed up with environmentalists, native people’s advocates, community forestry groups and responsible corporations to form the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. Previous attempts to stem the tide of unchecked logging—including international negotiations and boycotts—were having little effect, so FSC vowed to use the power of market forces to create change for the better.

FSC promotes responsible management of forests by certifying forestry operations around the globe and promoting its certification system at every step of the wood products distribution chain. Whether you’re shopping for wooden furniture, building materials or other items, one easy way to tell if the wood you are considering buying was harvested from sustainable sources is to look for the FSC label on it or its packaging. If it is, you can trust that such products were harvested sustainably and are not contributing to deforestation-related woes. If you don’t see the FSC logo, you should inquire as to where the wood came from and whether or not it was harvested sustainably.

The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) warns consumers to avoid purchasing some tropical hardwoods unless they can be assured that it came from sustainable forestry operations. Many of these woods—including Big Leaf Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, Caribbean Pine, Ipe, Rosewood, Teak, Ramin, Merbau, African Mahogany, and Okoume—are difficult to manage sustainably as they typically grow in low densities in natural forests and regenerate poorly after logging. Some woods and wood products may contain FSC-certified wood without bearing the logo, while other woods may be OK without going through the FSC certification process. If you don’t see an FSC logo you should ask. If the store salesperson can’t provide information, then you can’t be sure.

Even better than purchasing sustainably harvested new wood is to seek out reclaimed or salvaged wood, as it precludes the need for logging altogether. An added benefit of using reclaimed or salvaged wood—look for it at used building supply stores and even at construction sites where older materials are being tossed—is that it provides incentives for municipal recycling programs. NRDC suggests that if you can’t source used wood, consider recycled plastic lumber or composites if they are applicable for your project.

Contacts:
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
NRDC

Image credit: Giles Douglas, courtesy Flickr

—————-

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial

The farmers at DeLoach tend to their vineyards and garden as if they were a closed system. They seek at every turn to drastically limit if not altogether eliminate external inputs. Rather than a cycle of dependence based on the importation of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, through biodynamic farming practices they create a self-contained oasis of self-sustaining interconnected biodiversity, an eco-system where the land, plants and animals exist in harmony to create a thriving environment.

The land is constantly replenished and enriched through natural processes using cover crops and compost made on-site and designed to encourage the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil. The signature components of the biodynamic process includes horn manure and horn silica, which are made by filling cow horns with manure or crushed silica and burying them in the ground through the winter. The horns are then dug up and their contents used as the basis to make organic fertilizers. Biodynamic farming also recognizes the importance of the cosmic rhythms that influence life on earth and work in the fields and cellar is carried out based on the lunar calendar. “In the holistic spirit of biodynamics, we will also continue to cultivate a sense of community with our neighbors, growers, and natural surroundings,” notes the DeLoach website.

The development of biodynamics came in response to the decline in food quality some farmers noticed with the shift from natural to synthetic based agricultural practices. Ironically, in moving forward toward a more environmentally sound and healthful future DeLoach is in many ways moving backward. Back to the time before the rise of the agro-industrial complex disrupted the close link between land, animals and plants and supplanted organics with chemicals.

The recent experience of Kim Wallace, assistant editor of Natural Home Magazine, testifies to the superior taste and nutritional content of food produced through biodynamic farming. “After trying farm-fresh eggs from DeLoach Vineyards’ Biodynamic, organic farm and garden, I’ve made a vow to buy only local eggs whenever possible,” Wallace says.

Learn more:

Kim Wallace’s tour of DeLoach Vineyards for Natural Home Magazine including the horn silica making process.

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association National Conference September 30, 2010: Biodynamics and the Future of Agriculture: Growing the Food Revolution

Image credit: foodstuffla.org

Until researchers found one pretty big snag.  Growing the algae biofuel in the manner most thought to be scalable, (large, clear cylinders) has been found to have a carbon footprint 3.7x that of petro-diesel, the fuel it was intended to replace.

The study also found that when grown in ponds instead of turbo-sized test-tubes, the carbon footprint of algae biofuel drops to 4.5 x lower than petro-diesel.  However, this method consumes more water.  Not an issue in regions with an abundance.

Although the yield using ponds is lower than that of the test-tube method, it’s the carbon foootprint and cost effectiveness we’re worried about.  The algae fuel seems to be the perfect solution as it consumes carbon-dioxide and spits out a combustible fuel.  It could very well be the solution to our addiction to oil, global warming and a suffering economy rolled into one neat little technology.

Other scientists are experimenting with new test tube reactor designs that use a series of baffles to move water and algae around in a manner that achieves the circulation necessary while using much less energy.  This issue being that algae needs constant movement and exposure to sunlight in order to grow quickly.  This method, pioneered by Benjamin Taylor at the University of Cambridge uses 4% of the energy typically consumed by this method of production.

You can read the entire study here.

With a $1.2 Billion price tag, the farm will consist of five separate segments.  Financing was just secured recently, kicking construction into gear.  Just 75 miles north of Los Angeles, the project will be built in the Mojave desert.

The first phase of the project will be complete in 2011.  Upon completion, the project will meet 10% of California’s mandated renewable energy needs.  More impressively, when complete, the farm will prevent 5.8 Billion pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year.

Source

“The first time I took the UV flashlight out on the beach to see if it would work, it was beyond my wildest dreams,” said Rip Kirby, a graduate student at the University of South Florida.

UV lights enable people to easily see areas of the beach and tidal zones where oil has mixed with  sand and mud to an extent that makes it nearly invisible to the naked eye during the day. At night even the tinniest oil particles glow bright orange.

Learn more at National Geographic.