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Buy and Install Your Own Plug and Play PV System From Lowes

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:00:00 -0500

Image via: remintola on Flickr.com We've mentioned the Akeena Solar Andalay PV (photovoltaic) panel previously for its near plug and play installation format. With almost all of the pieces integrated, installers simply install the base into the roof, set the panels down, plug them together and the rooftop installation is done. Now, for the first time, Lowe's sells all the pieces to these systems so Do-It]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

IMBY Online Tool Estimates How Much Renewable Energy is in Your Backyard

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:52:18 -0500

Don't worry, this huge building is just the example address. Image: IMBY, NREL Thinking About Putting Solar Panels on Your Roof? Or a Wind Turbine Maybe? The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has created an online tool called In My Backyard (IMBY, obviously based on the NIMBY acronym). The goal is to "estimates how much electricity you can produce through solar and wind power in your own backyard." It's based on Google Maps, and while it's relatively sophisticated compared to other such tools, it is ve]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Adult Diapers Clog Landfills, Too

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:40:00 -0500

Image via: timmmip on Flickr.com Adult diapers, or incontinence pads as they are otherwise known, amounted to less than one percent of total landfill waste just two decades ago. Today, that number is closer to 7% and climbing. These pads are typically made from plastic and other non-biodegradable products meaning that not only is the volume of space they are filling up rising, but they're also not breaking down any time soon. With a ris]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

The Wildlife Conservation Society Connects the Dots between Climate Change and Species Decline

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:31:14 -0500

Image credit: stevehdc/Flickr The Wildlife Conservation Society has released a new report detailing the effects of climate change on a range of species. The report profiles more than a dozen species and outlines threats that include: "changing land and sea temperatures; shifting rain patterns; exposure to new pathogens and disease; and increased threats of predation." Publication of the report is meant to coincide with the COP15 currently underway in Copenhagen and with th]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Energy-Saving LED Traffic Lights Potentially Dangerous in Snow Storms

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:15:54 -0500

Photos: Flickr, CC (one & two) Nothing We Can't Fix LED traffic lights have many advantages over incandescent technology: They last a lot longer and require less maintenance, they use a fraction of the electricity, reducing the city's power bills, and they are arguably easier to see (at least that has been my experience). But their high energy efficiency can go from upside to downside during certain types of snow storms; if snow somehow ends up covering the li]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Toyota Will Sell Plug-In Hybrid Prius in 2011, Urban Commuter Electric Car in 2012

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:08:16 -0500

Photo: Flickr, CC But Limited Numbers at First Toyota has announced today that they will be selling a plug-in version of the 3rd generation Prius around 2011. Sadly, the biggest auto maker in the world by volume will only be dipping its toe with "only several tens of thousands of cars a year," at least at first. Hopefully if all goes well, production will be ramped up rapidly to meet demand, otherwise Toyota risks falling behind competitors with more aggressive EV and PHEV goals, but more importantly, a lack of supply cou]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Ask Pablo: Should We Go Back To Using Horses Instead Of Tractors?

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:50:00 -0500

Image Source: Anguskirk Dear Pablo: What is more sustainable, using a horse or a tractor? The answer may seem simple at first. A tractor consumes diesel fuel and belches greenhouse gasses and air pollutants. The horse on the other hand does not. End of story? Not quite. The horse also requires fuel in the form of grains. These grains are probably harvested by a tractor that burns diesel. So the question really should be: Does a horse consume more fossil energy through its feed than a tractor consumes for the equivalent amount of work?]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

POWERplus Gazelle Is A Flintstones-Style Generator

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:47:00 -0500

Photo via It Must Be Green Recently, we saw how much pedaling it would take to power a home, but if you need a little boost for gadgets during a power outage or emergency, the POWERplus Gazelle is one handy - er, footy - option. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Geothermal Power Projects Abandoned in Switzerland, California

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 11:41:54 -0500

real geothermal power; there is a lot of heat down there that can vaporize water and run turbines. Unfortunately, when the water hits the rocks and vaporizes, it packs a lot of power; above ground it can run steam engines and below ground, it appears to cause earthquakes. This isn't news; Brian wrote Huge Geothermal Power Project Could Cause Quakes ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Kodak and Novomer Turning Our CO2 Into Plastic Wrap

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:53:00 -0500

Photo via erix! Kodak and Novomer are working together to figure out how to turn our CO2 into plastic wrap. Novomer is creating a new wrap that is 50% from fossil fuels and 50% from CO2, and Kodak is creating a pilot scale facility that Novomer can use to manufacture and test the new plastic wraps and coatings. It is supposedly better for food, but is it just turning one un-green thing into another? ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Rajendra Pachauri at Copenhagen: Attempts to Discredit Climate Science "Will Not Work" (Video Interview)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:20:43 -0500

Nobel Laureate and IPCC chairman R.K. Pachauri pities the fools that doubt the scientific findings of his UN group. But the skeptics keep coming, especially after the "Climategate" affair. While the skepticism has remained marginal here in Copenhagen, some have wondered how the ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Wild and Weird New Species Discovered in 2009 (Slideshow)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:00:36 -0500

Image credit: David S McLeod / WW Greater Mekong Here is some good news: Every year, new species are discovered. Unfortunately, they are almost always immediately classified as threatened or endangered. Still, the discoveries are important for our understanding of the planet's biodiversity and serve as subtle reaffirmations of the wonder of this world. Take a look at 2009's most amazing discoveries, then vote for your favorite on Planet Green. ... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Black Friday Found To Be 50 Times More Carbon Intensive Than Cyber Monday

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:26:00 -0500

Image via GigaOm In a new report by MindClick SGM and GigaOm, Black Friday is found to be shockingly more carbon intensive than Cyber Monday - 50 times more intensive. When TreeHugger readers began the debate this year about which was greener, the Black Friday footrace or the Cyber Monday click-a-thon, no one]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Skeptic, Denier, Denialist: Would a Rose by any Other Name...?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:46:44 -0500

Image credit: Dictionary.com When I wrote about holocaust denier and climate conspiracy theorist Nick Griffin, Konservativ Anarkist asked me nicely not to use the term 'denier' or 'denialist' to describe climate skeptics. It was, he said, an "obvious attempt to marginalize." In general, I'm not a fan of annoying people, and I like to accord respect where respect is due. The trouble is, as Brian's post on the excellent Read the full story on TreeHugger

Slashing Solar Costs: Group Purchasing for Cheaper Energy

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 09:20:23 -0500

Image credit: 1Bog From solar shingles to solar thermal water heating, there's no doubt many of us greenies covet the idea of creating at least some of our own energy. The trouble is, it can be an expensive and intimidating process. That's why Matthew's coverage of 1BOG solar group purchasing in ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Nanoparticles or No-No particles?

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 04:21:47 -0500

Flickr, Argonne National Laboratory Could Nanoparticles Cause "Dramatic Mutations?" Nanoparticles, hailed as the solution for everything from the next generation of micro-electronic gadgets to curing cancer, are poorly understood. When scientists first mastered the technology for creating and manipulating microscopic balls and tubes, toxicologists speculated that the tiny particles would have properties similar to the same chemicals on an every-day scale. Occupational hygienists wo]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Meet the World's Most Powerful Weather Supercomputer

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:47:54 -0500

DKRZ A new supercomputer capable of performing highly-detailed climate calculations has been unveiled by the German Climate Computing Center (DKRZ) in Hamburg. Hailed as the world's most powerful forecasting tool, the computer, dubbed 'Blizzard', is designed to take any region of the world and model how it will be impacted by global climate change--offering scientists a peek into the future. How bleak or bright that future is, of course, depends upon decisions made today.]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Filmmaker Robert Greene on Weather Modification, Geoengineering, and Owning the Weather; Film Screens Sunday at COP15 (Interview)

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:42:06 -0500

Image credit: Owning the Weather Long criticized as snake-oil salesmen at best and dangerous crackpots at worst, scientists who aim to manipulate and control the weather have always been viewed as mad scientists. But is geoengineering a tool that can protect humans from climate change? Or are these innovators taking too many chances by "playing God"? That is the root of the question behind the film Owning the Weather, a documentary that explores the world of weather modification and geoengineering in the United States. Made by Robert Greene, the f]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Google Launches Deforestation Tool to Make Trees More Valuable Alive Than Dead

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:54:00 -0500

Image via Google.org Google's philanthropic arm, Google.org, has launched a new way to monitor deforestation. The tool was demonstrated at the Copenhagen talks yesterda]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

What do the Arctic, a Thermostat and COP15 Have in Common?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:27:12 -0500

Image credit: Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images This post was written by Philippe Cousteau, co-founder and CEO of Earth Echo International The year was 1972 and my father Philippe Cousteau Sr. was filming another episode of the famed series The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. This particular installment, "A Smile of the Walrus," chronicled the story of a changing Arctic ecosystem and the struggle of the various creatures such as the walrus to adapt. But 37 years ago, the changes being investigated by my father]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Get Around Town Faster Without Leaving the Tredmill Thanks to Rollator (Video)

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:25:00 -0500

Image via Ooms In a stranger but more interactive version of the Segway, the Rollator helps you walk farther faster on a tredmill-like machine. It actually looks kinda fun in the video. Can you picture yourself striding briskly down the street on one of these? ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Are Green Love Gloves a Turn-On?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:24:32 -0500

Courtesy LifeStyles. Sex can be awkward. Especially when you have to, um, stop what you're doing to put on a condom. Don't get me wrong. Condoms are good. They prevent sexually transmitted diseases, and help with population control. But they can kill the mood sometimes. Unless, of course, your choice of prophylactic shows how much you love the planet. Condom user = environmentally conscious? LifeStyles Condoms is now offering two new products for people who care about their mates, and the Earth. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

OLED Space Dress and LED Wedding Dress - Next Wave or New Waste?

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Photos via OLED Info and Trendhunter Remember that lovely and interesting dress covered in wind-powered LEDs in the pattern of daisies? Well it seems that was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dresses that light up. These dresses can be added to the fashion show - one constructed of OLED panels and the other boasting 300 LEDs for a glowing wedding night. Check out a video of the ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Gravestones Give Clues to Trends in Pollution and Climate Change (Video)

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:40:25 -0500

Photo via Gizmag Gravestones are keys to our past, with the engravings telling us all sorts of stories about the people and situations of our histories. But there's now a new use for them. They also can help us reveal our climate history. Citizen scientists are sending in measurements of marble gravestones from around the world so researchers can study their erosion for clues to trends in climate conditions. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Best Green Tech Concept Gadgets of 2009 (Slideshow)

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:45:00 -0500

Photos via Ecofriend Shepeleff Stephen came up with these solar powered headphones that won't make you feel like complete dork. Designs like this that put sol]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Follow the Sun: World Bank Collects $5.5 Billion for Solar Projects in Middle-East and North-Africa

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:15:05 -0500

Photo: Sandia National Laboratory, Public domain Why Should Germany Have All The Solar Power Fun? The World Bank is announcing that 5.5 billion dollars will be invested in concentrated solar energy projects in five countries of the Middle-East and North-Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia), which makes a lot more sense than investing in solar projects in cloudy Germany, for example. The World Bank's Clean Technology Fund has already approved 750 million dollars, and this financing will "mobilize an additional 4.85 billion dollars from other sources."]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Fragmented Rainforests Hold 40% Less Biomass

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:10:27 -0500

Image credit: World Resources Institute Staff/Flickr Deforestation, we know, contributes a significant amount of carbon to the atmosphere. Stopping deforestation and forest degradation is a major goal of the REDD program, to be discussed at COP15 and beyond. New research, however, based on extensive computer mod]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Canada's Largest Rooftop PV System Now On Loyalty One Building

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:19:00 -0500

PV covered carport with plug in hybrid. The Loyalty One building, manager of Air Miles rewards programs, is now the home for the largest rooftop solar system in all of Canada. Though the system is only 165 kilowatts, it's enough to power the entire building, thanks to its LEED silver and gold certifications. (Comparatively one of the larges]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Population of Prize Fish Species May be 27% Smaller than Previously Estimated

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:27:12 -0500

Image credit: dominic sherony/Flickr The white marlin, a prized trophy fish, is one of the most overfished marine species under international management. It has been nominated for inclusion on the United State's endangered species list multiple times and has been included in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Species of Concern List. Now, researchers believe that population data has been unrealistically inflated due to the marlin's similarities to another species, th]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

General Electric To Supply Wind Turbines For 845 Megawatt Project In Oregon

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:11:15 -0500

Locations of existing and planned large wind farms in Oregon. Image credit:OregonLive Blog GE's US$1.4 billion contract will be for wind turbines installated at Shepherds Flat in the US State of Oregon (as shown on map above). Per the Business Newswire press release: "When completed it will be larger than any wind farm currently in operation around the globe." GE already reports it has so]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Rural Kenyan Family Uses Old Car Battery for Greener Electricity

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:20:00 -0500

Afrigadget In rural Kenya, most families don't have electricity. But that doesn't stop this family from getting their news and music on the radio. They use a recycled car battery that lasts far longer, is far cheaper, and far more green than other battery options. But there's one thing that would make it even greener.]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Unbelievably Cute Wind-Up Computer Mouse Uses Renewable Power

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:30:00 -0500

Image via Yanko Design Computer mice usually bum power from your computer, unless you have a wireless mouse which then uses juice from (hopefully) rechargeable batteries. Here's a design for a mouse that would use power generated from a wind-up key. It looks like one of the very old-fashioned toy with a very modern spin. ]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Why Data Center Efficiency Matters - Because the Internet is THIS BIG

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:19:00 -0500

Image via UCSD The latest report to come out about our use of the internet and digital media to consume information is mind-blowing. University of California, San Diego reports that each day, Americans consume 34 gigabytes of information. That adds up to about 3.6 zettabytes. That's about equal to the capacity of 5.1 million computer hard drives. And the study doesn't include information consumed at work]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Philips Invents e-Skin for Color-Changing Devices and Walls - What's the Green Point?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:45:00 -0500

Phillips e-Ink and e-Paper are fairly old news at this point. If you've had any interaction with an e-reader like the Kindle, then you've experienced e-paper. It's a technology for displays that has no need to backlighting and so is ultra energy efficient. Research has been going in to how to make e-paper colorful and able to display colors fast enough to enable video. But Philips has also been looking in to how to make the te]]>... Read the full story on TreeHugger

Are We Drowning in Dystopias?

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:00:52 -0500

Images via Cop15 opening film 'Please Help The World' This is the first in a series of guest posts by journalist and climate change communications strategist Ella Saltmarshe When we think about the future of the world, it's mostly bad. I'm not sure when this dawned on me. It could have been while watching Dune or Children of Men or The Road or perhaps while reading Margaret Atwood's brilliant new Armageddon novel, ... Read the full story on TreeHugger