Monthly Archives: June 2010

How Much 'Goodwill' Is Your Donation Worth?

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the full story at Earth911. Goodwill has officially launched its Donation Impact Calculator that shows consumers just how much weight their donations carry. For example, one bicycle, one coat and one DVD provides a person with one hour of … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Lifestyle | Leave a comment

Two from the GAO on polar-orbitting environmental satellites

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellites:  Agencies Must Act Quickly to Address Risks That Jeopardize the Continuity of Weather and Climate Data.  GAO-10-558, May 27. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-10-558 Highlights – http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d10558high.pdf Podcast – http://www.gao.gov/podcast/watchdog_episode_23.html Environmental Satellites: Planning Required to Mitigate Near-term Risks and Ensure Long-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Publications, Statistics | Leave a comment

25 Under-Resourced Higher Education Institutions Awarded Green Building Kresge Fellowships

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the press release. Second Nature has received overwhelming response from the higher education community for the 2010 Kresge Fellowship Program. In total, 60 higher education institutions applied for the 2010 awards. Of these 60 applicant institutions, the Kresge Fellowship … Continue reading →

Posted in Awards & contests, Schools | Leave a comment

Ford Adds Soy Foam Seat Cushions to Ford Explorer; Expands Use of Eco-Friendly Material Across Lineup

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the full story at  Biobased News. The new 2011 Ford Explorer will offer more eco-friendly features including soy foam in seat cushions and seatbacks as well as at least a 25 percent increase in fuel economy over the current … Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive industry, Sustainable Design | Leave a comment

EPA Issues Greenhouse Gas Reporting Requirements for Four Emissions Sources

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing requirements under its national mandatory greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting program for underground coal mines, industrial wastewater treatment systems, industrial waste landfills and magnesium production facilities. The data from these sectors will provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Air, Regulation | Leave a comment

Department of Energy Announces $24 Million for Algal Biofuels Research

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced today the investment of up to $24 million for three research groups to tackle key hurdles in the commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The selections will support the development of a clean, sustainable transportation sector … Continue reading →

Posted in Biofuels | Leave a comment

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Watch the TEDTalk. Ellen Dunham-Jones fires the starting shot for the next 50 years’ big sustainable design project: retrofitting suburbia. To come: Dying malls rehabilitated, dead “big box” stores re-inhabited, parking lots transformed into thriving wetlands.

Posted in Smart Growth | Leave a comment

What have environmentalists been most wrong about?

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the full post at Grist. First things first: Don’t ask me how I went from being an editor of Grist to an expert in wrongness. It’s a long story. Suffice it to say that in 2006, I left Grist … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | Leave a comment

Springer Announces New Open-Access Journals

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the full story in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Springer publishing company today announced that it is setting up a new open-access journal program. Called SpringerOpen, the program will initially include 12 new online-only, peer-reviewed journals in science, … Continue reading →

Posted in Scientific Publishing | Leave a comment

"Recycled Island" Turns Ocean Plastic into a Paradise

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Laura B.

Read the full post at Treehugger. Ever dreamed of living on a giant island of plastic? Well, with all the plastic that floats around in the ocean as a toxic soup threatening all manner of marine life, one architecture firm … Continue reading →

Posted in Green Building | Leave a comment