Daily Archives: January 17, 2008

Innovations Help Economy, May Save the Planet

Read the full story from Worldwatch. California’s ambitious energy conservation legislation has created an unusual challenge for the state’s utility companies: to get customers to consume less of their product. Laws that reward utilities for meeting energy reduction targets and … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Energy | Leave a comment

China’s Plastic Bag Ban Likely to Change Consumer Habits

Read the full story from Worldwatch. The State Council, China’s cabinet, recently issued a directive banning the production of ultra-thin plastic bags for environmental reasons. The ruling also prohibits shops, supermarkets, and sales outlets nationwide from handing out free plastic … Continue reading

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Seeding the Sustainable Economy

Read Chapter 1 of Worldwatch’s 2008 State of the World Report. There’s also a podcast. Environmental decline and persistent mass poverty suggest that the dominant model for economies worldwide is in crisis. But alternatives to business-as-usual can steer most economies … Continue reading

Posted in Green Business, Publications, Sustainability | Leave a comment

Analysis: Nano Hypocrisy?

Read the full story from Worldwatch. One car gets 46 miles per gallon, features fancy accessories, and sports two engines with a combined 145 horsepower. The other car reportedly gets 54 miles per gallon, runs on a diminutive 30-horsepower engine, … Continue reading

Posted in Hybrids, Transportation | Leave a comment

Recycling number one priority of vinyl roofing industry

Read the full story in Building Design & Construction. With its European counterparts blazing the trail, the North American vinyl (PVC) roofing industry announced a new phase in its commitment to environmental sustainability through recycling. The Vinyl Roofing Division of the … Continue reading

Posted in Construction and Demolition, Plastics, Recycling | Leave a comment

USGBC Publishes Catalog of LEED Innovation & Design Points Online

Read the full story in Building Design & Construction. Building Teams pursuing certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s  LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System now have the opportunity to view the Innovation & Design … Continue reading

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WWF and Abu Dhabi’s Masdar Initiative unveil plan for world’s first carbon-neutral, waste-free, car-free city

Read the full story in Building Design & Construction. The WWF and Masdar, The Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, today launched a “Sustainability Action Plan” to deliver the world’s greenest city – Masdar City. Masdar City will be the world’s … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, International, Smart Growth | Leave a comment

Analysis: Biofuels law attracts opposition

Read the full story from United Press International. A major energy bill signed last month by President Bush could decrease domestic oil consumption by increasing biofuels, but opposition to the new law has come hard and fast from an unusual … Continue reading

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Herons persist in Chicago wetlands despite exposure to banned chemicals

Read the full story at Physorg.com. The story details research by INHS and WMRC scientists. Herons nesting in the wetlands of southeast Chicago are still being exposed to chemicals banned in the U.S. in the 1970s, a research team reports. … Continue reading

Posted in Great Lakes Region, ISTC News, Publications, Research | Leave a comment

Premier reveals support for offshore energy plan

Read the full story in the Toronto Star. Offshore wind could play an important role in the development of renewable energy resources in Ontario, says Premier Dalton McGuinty, who confirmed yesterday that an official announcement on wind power in the … Continue reading

Posted in Canada, Wind Energy | Leave a comment