The first iPhone application that scans bar codes to provide ratings on healthy, green, and socially responsible products is here. The app – which is available for free from Apple’s iTunes App Store – allows consumers to compare and research more than 62,000 products by simply scanning the barcode.
Continue reading "Is it Green? Scan its Barcode to Find Out." »
New Moon: NASA scientists found 25 gallons of water in the form of ice and vapor on the moon's surface. The discovery challenges previous assumptions about the moon's potential for supporting life. Los Angeles Times and Associated Press
Carbon Cutting: Brazil pledged to cut its projected 2020 greenhouse gas emissions by between 36.1 percent and 38.9 percent. Reuters
Cold Comfort: A new study suggests that trees planted at higher latitudes may provide the biggest benefit to the planet. New Scientist
Street Cleaning: More than 50,000 clunkers have been retired through Canada's Retire Your Ride program. Incentives offered in exchange for the polluting vehicles include free bus passes, bike rebates, or $300. AFP
Lookin' Good: The brown pelican has been removed from the endangered species list. The Interior Department estimates the bird's population at 650,000. Los Angeles Times
--Della Watson
Rows and rows of bikes parked on the sidewalk can make any greenie's heart swell with pride. But what happens when there are too many bikes and not enough parking spots? A Japanese company has come up with a phenomenal solution: the robotic bike tree.
The bike tree is a mechanical system that stores bikes in a large shed. Commuters place a tag on their bike and the machine sucks it into the storage system. When the person returns, the machine retrieves the bike. All bicyclists have to do is pay the monthly fee. The company has installed several storage systems throughout Japan that hold anywhere from 600 to 6,000 bikes.
The bike tree has prevented bicycle theft, diminished clutter in the street, and protected bikes from weather. However, it can be costly to rent a space each month and it requires a bit of infrastructure because the facility is underground.
--Julie Littman
A recent study found that people feel more relaxed and generous after viewing nature scenes. We're not sure if listening to birdcalls on a cell phone has a similar calming effect, but it probably doesn't hurt--especially if the purchase of the birdcall helps a conservation organization. Ringtone providers Wildtones and Conservation Calling offer a variety of animal sounds, ranging from howler monkeys to hungry lions, and both companies donate a portion of their proceeds to environmental nonprofits. The Smithsonian National Zoological Park sells ringtones created from recordings of the zoo's inhabitants, and a portion of the profits benefits these animals. Choice Accessories donates proceeds from certain ringtones to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, but readers should be aware that this site also sells hunting equipment. So now that you know where to find distinctive sounds for your phone, it's time for the fun part: matching up the folks in your contact list with representative chirps, croaks, and roars.
--Della Watson
A Bug's Life: British conservationists will use GPS technology to locate the nests of hairy northern wood ants before the Forestry Commission removes non-native conifers from a Northumberland forest. Because the rare ants rely on conifer needles to build their nests, selected trees will be left standing. BBC and Treehugger
Fishy Business: An analysis of the environmental impact of salmon farming in Norway, Chile, Canada, and the UK found that Norway's farms were the most efficient. New Scientist
The Danger Zone: The EPA added three hazardous waste sites to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. New Jersey's Raritan Bay Slag, Utah's U.S. Magnesium, and Virginia's Peck Iron and Metal were all deemed to pose risks to human health and the environment. EPA
Free Pass? The European Union's environment committee approved a list 164 industrial sectors including coal mining, oil and gas drilling, and aluminum production that could potentially receive free five-year carbon emissions permits. AFP
For Peat's Sake: A recent study found that 5.5 percent of global carbon emissions are the result of the draining and burning of peat bogs. Reuters
--Della Watson
Tip #3: Proper Disposal
When it comes time to part ways with your TV (whether for moral or mechanical reasons), avoid contributing to the ever-growing pile of e-waste by finding a local recycler. E-cycling can prevent toxic substances like lead from polluting landfills and allows for the reuse of materials (also check out Sony's Take Back Recycling Program). If your TV still functions, you can sell, trade, or donate it.
Tell us: Have you recycled a TV? If so, how?
It's fall and that means new TV shows and nonstop sports action. But
while you watch, your carbon footprint continues to grow. This week's
tips are about how to green your TV habits.
Tip #2: Stem the Energy Tide
If you have a beefed-up entertainment system, you probably also have a plethora of cords intertwining around the TV. Even in "off" mode, plugged-in electronics still suck energy. In the U.S. alone, turned-off TVs drain more than $750 million per year in electricity costs. By using a power strip, and unplugging it at night (or whenever none of the appliances that depend on it are in use), you can easily stop the leakage.
Tell us: How do you slay energy vampires? It's fall and that means new TV shows and nonstop sports action. But while you watch, your carbon footprint continues to grow. This week's tips are about how to green your TV habits.
Tip #1: Buy Energy Star TVs
The greenest choice is to stick with that old black box until its end, but when it's time to switch, opt for Energy Star-labeled TVs. New or used, they save energy in both standby and active modes, consuming about 30 percent less than standard units. If you're in the market for an HDTV, stick to the smaller screens and rear-projection types, which consume less energy than LCDs or plasmas.
Tip #2: Use Power Strips
Tip #3: Recycle It
Tip #4: Watch Less
Tell us: How is your TV green?
Definitely no surprises here: In EPA’s recently released 2010 fuel-efficiency test results, hybrids overwhelmed the list of the most efficient cars, including the Toyota Prius, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the Mercury Milan Hybrid.
Newcomers to the top-ten list include two Lexus hybrid models. The only non-hybrid car on the top-ten list is the Smart fortwo, a fact we hope will cure those with car envy for Bentleys or Lamborghinis; both landed in the bottom ten.
You might be wondering how electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids fared. Unfortunately, they weren’t even tested. The EPA hasn’t figured out reliable ways to so do quite yet.
For more information about the test results, visit the EPA’s site.
--Julie LittmanBoo! In a couple of weeks, ghouls, ghosts, and goblins, among hundreds of candy-ravenous characters, will be haunting the streets. What will provide the biggest scare of all on Halloween, however, is not the costumed creatures. Lurking unnoticed in every house, sucking energy with their deadly fangs, are none other than plugged-in electronic appliances.
Though these devices may not be in use, vampire power – the energy they use while turned off or in stand-by mode – is drawn, wasting some $10 billion per year in the U.S. alone.
Supplying the stake and garlic to help combat the vampires is iGo, Inc., which makes chargers for mobile devices. Their site promoting Vampire Power Awareness Month offers tips and tricks about how to save energy and money, iGo Green “vampire-slaying” products, and a tool to calculate your home's vampire-energy loss. So stop bleeding and start saving.--Michael Mullaley
