Links to Interesting Blogs

Hi people, this is a list of some interesting blogs I have found, hope you enjoy them

http://solar–water–heater.blogspot.com/

http://solarpanels-solarengery.blogspot.com/

http://solar—energy.blogspot.com/

http://solar–power.blogspot.com/

http://solarpanels-dominicanrepublic.blogspot.com/

http://solar-heater.blogspot.com/

http://solar–technology.blogspot.com/

http://largestsolarpanel.blogspot.com/

http://solar-energy–panels.blogspot.com/

http://solarheater.wordpress.com/

http://sebastian93.livejournal.com/

http://jazzydan.edublogs.org/

http://theblogs.net/mysolarenegyblog/

http://mysolarenergy.blog.com/

http://www.netglobalenergy.com/solar/

http://pinoysolar.bloggista.net

http://carlos52.blogetery.com/

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Green Ink: Big Biofuel and Cheap Solar

The debate over the environmental impact from Canada’s oil sands is complicated by the big and growing importance that Canada’s oil patch—led by oil sands—has for the country’s entire economy, in the WSJ (sub reqd.). Don’t let that stop you, warns James Hansen in The Guardian: “The carbon emissions from tar shale and tar sands would initiate a continual unfolding of climate disasters over the course of this century.”
ExxonMobil is again under siege from activist shareholders urging the big oil company to shift course and address climate change, in the WSJ (sub reqd.). No such worries for Russian energy companies, which are increasingly turning to Asia, as with a massive new LNG plant that will provide 5% of global gas supplies, in the NYT.
Will Congress or the EPA will regulate greenhouse-gas emissions? Both, apparently. The NYT reports that the EPA plans to regulate carbon dioxide emissions while Congress prepares its own climate-change bill.
If environmentalists are taking coal out of the power mix, what will take its place? A cocktail of energy efficiency, wind power, concentrated solar, and biomass will do much of the heavy lifting, Joe Romm argues at Climate Progress.
The tension between the economy and the environment returns—in California. The state will scrap new diesel-emission rules for the construction industry to avoid larding it with extra costs during the downturn, but at the cost of extra emissions, in the L.A. Times.
Solar power might be on the cusp of getting a lot cheaper: A new report from Lux Research says solar prices will plummet this year as supply far outsrips demand. That might mean a big shakeout for lots of solar-panel makers, but will also accelerate solar’s lunge at grid parity, in the WSJ (sub reqd.) and Earth2Tech.
Big Oil is getting serious about biofuels. BP and Verenium announce a deal to build what will be the world’s largest cellulosic biofuel plant in Florida, just weeks after inaugurating a much smaller demonstration plant in Louisiana, in the WSJ (sub reqd.).
Biofuels may also get extra help from the stimulus bill, which included last-minute changes to help some algae biofuel producers, at TNR’s The Vine. New engines optimized for ethanol might make U.S. biofuels a more attractive alternative, in MIT Technology Review.
Kansas will probably still keep up the fight against new coal plants even if Gov. Sibelius takes the Health and Human Services job, notes Grist—the former Republican Lt. Gov. has been a staunch coal opponent.
Finally, more carbon emissions are a mixed blessing. More CO2 makes trees and forests grow bigger, a new study finds, making them even more effective carbon sinks. That could give fresh impetus to plans to include forest protection in global climate deals, but could also take some pressure off rich-country emissions reductions, in The Guardian.

The debate over the environmental impact from Canada’s oil sands is complicated by the big and growing importance that Canada’s oil patch—led by oil sands—has for the country’s entire economy, in the WSJ (sub reqd.). Don’t let that stop you, warns James Hansen in The Guardian: “The carbon emissions from tar shale and tar sands would initiate a continual unfolding of climate disasters over the course of this century.”

ExxonMobil is again under siege from activist shareholders urging the big oil company to shift course and address climate change, in the WSJ (sub reqd.). No such worries for Russian energy companies, which are increasingly turning to Asia, as with a massive new LNG plant that will provide 5% of global gas supplies, in the NYT.

Will Congress or the EPA will regulate greenhouse-gas emissions? Both, apparently. The NYT reports that the EPA plans to regulate carbon dioxide emissions while Congress prepares its own climate-change bill.

If environmentalists are taking coal out of the power mix, what will take its place? A cocktail of energy efficiency, wind power, concentrated solar, and biomass will do much of the heavy lifting, Joe Romm argues at Climate Progress.

The tension between the economy and the environment returns—in California. The state will scrap new diesel-emission rules for the construction industry to avoid larding it with extra costs during the downturn, but at the cost of extra emissions, in the L.A. Times.

Solar power might be on the cusp of getting a lot cheaper: A new report from Lux Research says solar prices will plummet this year as supply far outsrips demand. That might mean a big shakeout for lots of solar-panel makers, but will also accelerate solar’s lunge at grid parity, in the WSJ (sub reqd.) and Earth2Tech.

Big Oil is getting serious about biofuels. BP and Verenium announce a deal to build what will be the world’s largest cellulosic biofuel plant in Florida, just weeks after inaugurating a much smaller demonstration plant in Louisiana, in the WSJ (sub reqd.).

Biofuels may also get extra help from the stimulus bill, which included last-minute changes to help some algae biofuel producers, at TNR’s The Vine. New engines optimized for ethanol might make U.S. biofuels a more attractive alternative, in MIT Technology Review.

Kansas will probably still keep up the fight against new coal plants even if Gov. Sibelius takes the Health and Human Services job, notes Grist—the former Republican Lt. Gov. has been a staunch coal opponent.

Finally, more carbon emissions are a mixed blessing. More CO2 makes trees and forests grow bigger, a new study finds, making them even more effective carbon sinks. That could give fresh impetus to plans to include forest protection in global climate deals, but could also take some pressure off rich-country emissions reductions, in The Guardian.

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Blinds; Perfect For Any Environment cheap blinds

Blinds are a very popular form of the ventana-cobertura households used throughout the country in the nation. It is for many different styles and varieties of shutters outside reels, vertical and Venetian. These varieties were documented own set and then this article is based on the different from blinds personality instead and how these various districts and consistent effects on the camera.
Many blind cameras effective blackout in the sunlight. For persons seeking nights or set to meet are the ideal solution in witching hour year too early buttress. Blind blackout repeats of textiles and consist of Roman roller or shadows. Because disposers because it uses in the bedroom, which often in home cinemas or barracks Caucus slide are often shows performed.
For those who should not have a full blackout, may be an option most versatile dim blinds-Blinds. These come in roller, panel and folded varieties. It is important, but for which the construction material used a variety of special Dim, still allowed to light. Such blind is ideal for the bathroom, where the complete blackout is unnecessary, but requires a roller privacy.
Many different types of blinds this sweep clean-feature allows this type of window for greater versatility. Blinds are dirty easily and fat, play in particular in the kitchen or bedroom. Material as PVC, aluminum and wood will be ultimately better appropriate properties of clean sweep, although it should be recalled that modern fabrics in a clean sweep format are available.
For clean fans there blinds are now available in anti-bacterial materials.
Cheap vertical blinds is understandable especially for as appropriate specific environments such as hospitals, schools and nursing homes. The material is not antibacterial, but is coated with a solution especially made instead.
Easy reflective blinds can be particularly bright areas, where the heat can be a problem. For example greenhouses can during the summer; therefore, extreme heat than a blind, light of allows but limits the heat of the Sun, it is possible to have a cold and brilliant range. Blinds ignífugo properties are self-explanatory and add a House security.
Well as they are available in a number of different materials which you can choose between the practical and stylistic reasons blind with different functions of blinds. Silky account more than fashion materials used in the manufacture of blind. This become a room a sense of style and creates a softness that hardly has any other material. Suede has good thermal properties. Notable blind wood are common in many homes and are a simple way and complex window as cover. Aluminium is often used in the manufacture of blinds and extremely affordable can be. In many blind polyester fabric used as it is relatively inexpensive and with various; coatings also discusses PVC often used as an affordable material to the slats in blinds.
It was to be hoped that home owners have been in this article the understanding of the characteristics that offers various blind. Modern manufacturing processes, it is possible, these features have mixed and assigned, i.e. can cover blind a handy window in the home, Office or any other environment.

Blinds are a very popular form of the ventana-cobertura households used throughout the country in the nation. It is for many different styles and varieties of shutters outside reels, vertical and Venetian. These varieties were documented own set and then this article is based on the different from blinds personality instead and how these various districts and consistent effects on the camera.

Many blind cameras effective blackout in the sunlight. For persons seeking nights or set to meet are the ideal solution in witching hour year too early buttress. Blind blackout repeats of textiles and consist of Roman roller or shadows. Because disposers because it uses in the bedroom, which often in home cinemas or barracks Caucus slide are often shows performed.

For those who should not have a full blackout, may be an option most versatile dim blinds-Blinds. These come in roller, panel and folded varieties. It is important, but for which the construction material used a variety of special Dim, still allowed to light. Such blind is ideal for the bathroom, where the complete blackout is unnecessary, but requires a roller privacy.

Many different types of blinds this sweep clean-feature allows this type of window for greater versatility. Blinds are dirty easily and fat, play in particular in the kitchen or bedroom. Material as PVC, aluminum and wood will be ultimately better appropriate properties of clean sweep, although it should be recalled that modern fabrics in a clean sweep format are available.

For clean fans there blinds are now available in anti-bacterial materials.

Cheap vertical blinds is understandable especially for as appropriate specific environments such as hospitals, schools and nursing homes. The material is not antibacterial, but is coated with a solution especially made instead.

Easy reflective blinds can be particularly bright areas, where the heat can be a problem. For example greenhouses can during the summer; therefore, extreme heat than a blind, light of allows but limits the heat of the Sun, it is possible to have a cold and brilliant range. Blinds ignífugo properties are self-explanatory and add a House security.

Well as they are available in a number of different materials which you can choose between the practical and stylistic reasons blind with different functions of blinds. Silky account more than fashion materials used in the manufacture of blind. This become a room a sense of style and creates a softness that hardly has any other material. Suede has good thermal properties. Notable blind wood are common in many homes and are a simple way and complex window as cover. Aluminium is often used in the manufacture of blinds and extremely affordable can be. In many blind polyester fabric used as it is relatively inexpensive and with various; coatings also discusses PVC often used as an affordable material to the slats in blinds.

It was to be hoped that home owners have been in this article the understanding of the characteristics that offers various blind. Modern manufacturing processes, it is possible, these features have mixed and assigned, i.e. can cover blind a handy window in the home, Office or any other environment.

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How to Travel Cheap and Save the Environment

A nomad at heart, I sometimes feel slightly guilty when I consider my carbon footprint from my extensive traveling.  I fly back and forth from Europe and the U.S. at least twice a year, and do a countless number of intra-European flights in between my American journeys.  And while I try to take the train as often as I can, sometimes it’s just not possible and – due to time, geography, or sometimes even budget – I am forced to fly and harm the environment.
Yet according to new research by Liligo.co.uk, a flight comparison web site based in the UK, travel-addicts like me may not have to feel as guilty about the environment anymore when we fly.  The web site claims that as long as us avid fliers choose a cheap airline like Ryanair instead of a more full-service airline, we won’t be contributing to climate change as much as previously thought.  And who doesn’t want to save both money and the environment?
According to Liligo’s research, low-cost carriers produce up to 35 percent less carbon emissions per passenger than more pricey, bigger airlines.  For example, if a couple were to fly both ways from London to Venice on Alitalia, a full-service airline, they would produce an estimated 977kg carbon footprint.  But if they had instead flown with Ryanair, their carbon footprint would have been nearly half that amount at 410kg.
Wondering how saving money amounts to a lower impact on the environment?
Liligo suggests one of the reasons is that low-cost airlines often have higher average load factors due to their own reduced budget.  In 2009, the average Ryanair flight was 82 percent full, while easyJet was 86 percent occupied.  In comparison, the Association of European Airlines reported that the average European full-service airline was 68 percent full.  Popular airline British Airways’ flights were slightly above the average at 73 percent of maximum capacity, better than normal but still well below the low-cost carriers’ crowded flights.
Low-cost airlines like Ryanair and easyJet also tend to pack in more seats than the average full-service airline—hence the notorious lack of legroom on these flights.  On an Airbus A319, for example, the typical airline will have an approximate 124 seats, while easyJet has 156.
The other major reason for the lower impact of low-cost airlines is that their planes tend to be newer and as a result are more fuel-efficient than older aircrafts.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on some planes lately that if I had to guess are probably at least 20 or 30 years old (really, how is that even safe?!?).  EasyJet says its average aircraft age is 3.5 years, and a spokesman for the company says they plan to expand in future years with the latest-technology aircraft and more fuel-efficient models than in previous years.
Gbenga Kogbe of Liligo told The Telegraph, a newspaper in the UK: “Our analysis shows that the environmental stigma of budget travel may be unwarranted. Travelers can now assess the financial and environmental costs of traveling with low-cost airlines, traditional airlines and charter-flight companies.”

A nomad at heart, I sometimes feel slightly guilty when I consider my carbon footprint from my extensive traveling.  I fly back and forth from Europe and the U.S. at least twice a year, and do a countless number of intra-European flights in between my American journeys.  And while I try to take the train as often as I can, sometimes it’s just not possible and – due to time, geography, or sometimes even budget – I am forced to fly and harm the environment.

Yet according to new research by Liligo.co.uk, a flight comparison web site based in the UK, travel-addicts like me may not have to feel as guilty about the environment anymore when we fly.  The web site claims that as long as us avid fliers choose a cheap airline like Ryanair instead of a more full-service airline, we won’t be contributing to climate change as much as previously thought.  And who doesn’t want to save both money and the environment?

According to Liligo’s research, low-cost carriers produce up to 35 percent less carbon emissions per passenger than more pricey, bigger airlines.  For example, if a couple were to fly both ways from London to Venice on Alitalia, a full-service airline, they would produce an estimated 977kg carbon footprint.  But if they had instead flown with Ryanair, their carbon footprint would have been nearly half that amount at 410kg.

Wondering how saving money amounts to a lower impact on the environment?

Liligo suggests one of the reasons is that low-cost airlines often have higher average load factors due to their own reduced budget.  In 2009, the average Ryanair flight was 82 percent full, while easyJet was 86 percent occupied.  In comparison, the Association of European Airlines reported that the average European full-service airline was 68 percent full.  Popular airline British Airways’ flights were slightly above the average at 73 percent of maximum capacity, better than normal but still well below the low-cost carriers’ crowded flights.

Low-cost airlines like Ryanair and easyJet also tend to pack in more seats than the average full-service airline—hence the notorious lack of legroom on these flights.  On an Airbus A319, for example, the typical airline will have an approximate 124 seats, while easyJet has 156.

The other major reason for the lower impact of low-cost airlines is that their planes tend to be newer and as a result are more fuel-efficient than older aircrafts.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on some planes lately that if I had to guess are probably at least 20 or 30 years old (really, how is that even safe?!?).  EasyJet says its average aircraft age is 3.5 years, and a spokesman for the company says they plan to expand in future years with the latest-technology aircraft and more fuel-efficient models than in previous years.

Gbenga Kogbe of Liligo told The Telegraph, a newspaper in the UK: “Our analysis shows that the environmental stigma of budget travel may be unwarranted. Travelers can now assess the financial and environmental costs of traveling with low-cost airlines, traditional airlines and charter-flight companies.”

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Healthy Environments in Child Care and Preschool Programs

Just how healthy is the environment in your child care center or preschool facility? A great resource to help you find out is the Children’s Environmental Health Network. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to protecting children from environmental hazards – from air quality to cleaning products to pesticides.
The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., with services and programs that span nationally. The mission of CEHN is to protect the fetus and child from environmental hazards and to promote a safe and healthy environment for all children. A multidisciplinary organization, CEHN aims to achieve specific goals by promoting the development of sound public health and child-focused national policy. It stimulates prevention-oriented research and elevates awareness and education in preventive strategies among various stakeholders, including health professionals, child care professionals, policymakers and community members. For more than 17 years, CEHN has been the voice for pediatric and environmental health in the nation’s capitol.
In 2005, CEHN launched a pilot program called Healthy Environments for Child Care and Preschools (HECCP) after identifying that preschools and child care were missing out on opportunities to address children’s environmental health. The first program was launched in California’s Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The program was effective and successful — more than 120 childcare providers were trained to detect and identify environmental hazards in their facilities.
Between 2006 and 2008, the HECCP program was modeled in Georgia, training nearly 300 child care providers and directors around Rome, Kennesaw, Atlanta, Dalton, Macon, Jonesboro and Marietta. The peer-reviewed training curriculum is approved for national use by the Centers for Disease Control. Among the curriculum’s 16 environmental health topics are air quality, radon, pesticides, safer cleaning and pesticides.
In 2007, the HECCP program expanded to Washington, D.C. The D.C. program includes environmental training for child care professionals as well as environmental assessments. To date, 20 centers have undergone preliminary environmental assessments, reaching more than 1,200 area children.
During assessments, many significant child care indicators and health concerns became evident. The most common illness reported by the centers in year one were respiratory infections, with asthma and allergies being the major concerns. This indicator is supported by a startling fact: in the last three months, 168 of the 1,228 children have been absent from the daycare center for reasons that include respiratory illness. On a more encouraging note, 75% of the centers have environmental health programs available for the parents. This fosters communication among the childcare providers and the parents on issues such as environmental health concerns.

Just how healthy is the environment in your child care center or preschool facility? A great resource to help you find out is the Children’s Environmental Health Network. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to protecting children from environmental hazards – from air quality to cleaning products to pesticides.

The Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN) is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., with services and programs that span nationally. The mission of CEHN is to protect the fetus and child from environmental hazards and to promote a safe and healthy environment for all children. A multidisciplinary organization, CEHN aims to achieve specific goals by promoting the development of sound public health and child-focused national policy. It stimulates prevention-oriented research and elevates awareness and education in preventive strategies among various stakeholders, including health professionals, child care professionals, policymakers and community members. For more than 17 years, CEHN has been the voice for pediatric and environmental health in the nation’s capitol.

In 2005, CEHN launched a pilot program called Healthy Environments for Child Care and Preschools (HECCP) after identifying that preschools and child care were missing out on opportunities to address children’s environmental health. The first program was launched in California’s Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The program was effective and successful — more than 120 childcare providers were trained to detect and identify environmental hazards in their facilities.

Between 2006 and 2008, the HECCP program was modeled in Georgia, training nearly 300 child care providers and directors around Rome, Kennesaw, Atlanta, Dalton, Macon, Jonesboro and Marietta. The peer-reviewed training curriculum is approved for national use by the Centers for Disease Control. Among the curriculum’s 16 environmental health topics are air quality, radon, pesticides, safer cleaning and pesticides.

In 2007, the HECCP program expanded to Washington, D.C. The D.C. program includes environmental training for child care professionals as well as environmental assessments. To date, 20 centers have undergone preliminary environmental assessments, reaching more than 1,200 area children.

During assessments, many significant child care indicators and health concerns became evident. The most common illness reported by the centers in year one were respiratory infections, with asthma and allergies being the major concerns. This indicator is supported by a startling fact: in the last three months, 168 of the 1,228 children have been absent from the daycare center for reasons that include respiratory illness. On a more encouraging note, 75% of the centers have environmental health programs available for the parents. This fosters communication among the childcare providers and the parents on issues such as environmental health concerns.

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Lawns are good for the environment (if taken care of properly)

Lawns take a lot of abuse. Both physically and mentally. Of course lawns don’t feel the mental abuse, but the people who love and tend to them do.
Lawns have been accused of everything from polluting the environment to causing cancer. Lawns are regularly persecuted for being unruly monocultures with an unquenchable thirst for water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Lawns did not invite any of this upon themselves, in fact, they would be much healthier and happier growing naturally. But nooooooo.
Like everything else in life, lawns have become commodified. Every year, billions of dollars are spent on lawns and it can be difficult to see through the barrage of advertising for all things lawn care. Making money is the primary function of any company, so it’s no surprise to see a business sell products that mask problems and create new ones (for which there happens to be another product for). Homeowners and lawn care professionals alike can get hooked on the routine of applying chemicals to sustain an artificial life support system for barely thriving grass.
How can lawns avoid the judgment cast down on them by their critics? The people who love and tend to them must be aware of the impact of every item put on a lawn. This includes but is not limited to; choosing the right grass species for the climate and location, having the soil tested, watering wisely, fertilizing with extreme care and at the proper rate, and limiting or eliminating the use of pesticides by implementing an IPM program. Better yet, go organic. Especially if your lawn is host to children and pets.
Lawns take a lot of abuse but they’re pretty to look at, they provide greenspace in urban areas, absorb noise pollution, filter and reduce runoff, and remove CO2 from the air replacing it with oxygen. Lawns provide a natural, living surface for playing games, entertaining, and relaxing. A natural, healthy lawn is teeming with life and is a unique ecosystem that lends itself well to being maintained and cared for. Lawns are good for the human spirit.

Lawns take a lot of abuse. Both physically and mentally. Of course lawns don’t feel the mental abuse, but the people who love and tend to them do.

Lawns have been accused of everything from polluting the environment to causing cancer. Lawns are regularly persecuted for being unruly monocultures with an unquenchable thirst for water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Lawns did not invite any of this upon themselves, in fact, they would be much healthier and happier growing naturally. But nooooooo.

Like everything else in life, lawns have become commodified. Every year, billions of dollars are spent on lawns and it can be difficult to see through the barrage of advertising for all things lawn care. Making money is the primary function of any company, so it’s no surprise to see a business sell products that mask problems and create new ones (for which there happens to be another product for). Homeowners and lawn care professionals alike can get hooked on the routine of applying chemicals to sustain an artificial life support system for barely thriving grass.

How can lawns avoid the judgment cast down on them by their critics? The people who love and tend to them must be aware of the impact of every item put on a lawn. This includes but is not limited to; choosing the right grass species for the climate and location, having the soil tested, watering wisely, fertilizing with extreme care and at the proper rate, and limiting or eliminating the use of pesticides by implementing an IPM program. Better yet, go organic. Especially if your lawn is host to children and pets.

Lawns take a lot of abuse but they’re pretty to look at, they provide greenspace in urban areas, absorb noise pollution, filter and reduce runoff, and remove CO2 from the air replacing it with oxygen. Lawns provide a natural, living surface for playing games, entertaining, and relaxing. A natural, healthy lawn is teeming with life and is a unique ecosystem that lends itself well to being maintained and cared for. Lawns are good for the human spirit.

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Lawn Care = Bad for the Environment?

Lawn care is becoming more of an obsession these days. Most of us will do some lawnmowing, spray some weed killer and call it a day. However, there are people who go to extreme lengths of making sure their lawn is perfectly green. They will use fertilizers, pesticides, sprinkler systems, leaf blowers, branch chippers, and a vast number of other products, machines and methods—all for the sake of lawn care. While having a healthy lawn is a good aspiration, it can also cause trouble for the environment.
You see, previous studies have shown that turfgrass lawns have the potential to act as carbon sinks—a way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. However, a more recent study shows that certain, excessive lawn maintenance practices can generate even more greenhouse gas emissions—4 times greater than the amount of carbon a lawn is capable of storing.
According to study co-author, Amy Townsend-Small:
“Lawns look great—they’re nice and green and healthy, and they’re photosynthesizing a lot of organic carbon. But the carbon-storing benefits of lawns are counteracted by fuel consumption.”
The study—to be published in Geophysical Research Letters—involved researchers taking grass samples from 4 parks in the Irvine, California, area. These parks either contained athletic field turf or ornamental lawn turf. Then, samples were taken from the soil, as well as the air above the turf. These samples were analyzed to measure carbon separation and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The analysis data was then compared to the amount of CO2 emissions that came from maintenance of the turf, including fertilizer production and irrigation.
Results from the study were not pretty: they showed that lawn N2O emissions were similar to those from agricultural farms. These farms are considered to be among the largest nitrous oxide emitters in the world. As for how the different turf samples measured up:
N2O emissions from fertilization of ornamental lawns only offset 10% to 30% of the separated carbon; and regular maintenace of these lawns created 4 times more CO2 than the turf could absorb.
The athletic fields did much worse, being unable to trap even the small amount of CO2 that the ornamental lawn did; and they require the same amount (if not more) of maintenance, thus generating more emissions than they can handle.
If you absolutely must take care of your lawn, check out this site for some tips on how to do so in a more organic, eco-friendly way.

Lawn care is becoming more of an obsession these days. Most of us will do some lawnmowing, spray some weed killer and call it a day. However, there are people who go to extreme lengths of making sure their lawn is perfectly green. They will use fertilizers, pesticides, sprinkler systems, leaf blowers, branch chippers, and a vast number of other products, machines and methods—all for the sake of lawn care. While having a healthy lawn is a good aspiration, it can also cause trouble for the environment.

You see, previous studies have shown that turfgrass lawns have the potential to act as carbon sinks—a way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. However, a more recent study shows that certain, excessive lawn maintenance practices can generate even more greenhouse gas emissions—4 times greater than the amount of carbon a lawn is capable of storing.

According to study co-author, Amy Townsend-Small:

“Lawns look great—they’re nice and green and healthy, and they’re photosynthesizing a lot of organic carbon. But the carbon-storing benefits of lawns are counteracted by fuel consumption.”

The study—to be published in Geophysical Research Letters—involved researchers taking grass samples from 4 parks in the Irvine, California, area. These parks either contained athletic field turf or ornamental lawn turf. Then, samples were taken from the soil, as well as the air above the turf. These samples were analyzed to measure carbon separation and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. The analysis data was then compared to the amount of CO2 emissions that came from maintenance of the turf, including fertilizer production and irrigation.

Results from the study were not pretty: they showed that lawn N2O emissions were similar to those from agricultural farms. These farms are considered to be among the largest nitrous oxide emitters in the world. As for how the different turf samples measured up:

N2O emissions from fertilization of ornamental lawns only offset 10% to 30% of the separated carbon; and regular maintenace of these lawns created 4 times more CO2 than the turf could absorb.

The athletic fields did much worse, being unable to trap even the small amount of CO2 that the ornamental lawn did; and they require the same amount (if not more) of maintenance, thus generating more emissions than they can handle.

If you absolutely must take care of your lawn, check out this site for some tips on how to do so in a more organic, eco-friendly way.

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Nintendo to Greenpeace: We do care about the environment

Greenpeace harshed on Nintendo’s eco-coolness last week, and this week the House that Miyamoto Built is firing back. It’s released a statement to Gamasutra saying that it takes environmental responsibilities seriously, and that the company is committed to saving energy, making both of its consoles energy efficient and using carefully picked and clearly-labeled materials in an effort to make post-usage recycling easy.
To be fair to Nintendo, most of Greenpeace’s argument against it was that the company didn’t share information about what it did for the environment, and let’s be honest here: Nintendo’s not really one for sharing. While Nintendo did get blamed for increasing its CO2 emissions, most of Greenpeace’s other complaints (as you can see in the PDF) were not actually about mistakes Nintendo was making, but its failure to share information or release reports about its operations. We can’t really blame Nintendo for that — on at least a few of its points, it seems Greenpeace’s methodology was more responsible for the big N’s bottom-of-the-barrel listing.

Greenpeace harshed on Nintendo’s eco-coolness last week, and this week the House that Miyamoto Built is firing back. It’s released a statement to Gamasutra saying that it takes environmental responsibilities seriously, and that the company is committed to saving energy, making both of its consoles energy efficient and using carefully picked and clearly-labeled materials in an effort to make post-usage recycling easy.

To be fair to Nintendo, most of Greenpeace’s argument against it was that the company didn’t share information about what it did for the environment, and let’s be honest here: Nintendo’s not really one for sharing. While Nintendo did get blamed for increasing its CO2 emissions, most of Greenpeace’s other complaints (as you can see in the PDF) were not actually about mistakes Nintendo was making, but its failure to share information or release reports about its operations. We can’t really blame Nintendo for that — on at least a few of its points, it seems Greenpeace’s methodology was more responsible for the big N’s bottom-of-the-barrel listing.

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Help! Coffee shop culture gets sidelined for Chips and Kebabs.

Sean Murray is seeking help with some enforcement action at the southern end of York Way.  Sean writes:
>>The retail unit at 2 York Way occupies a prime position in the regeneration area of King’s Cross. Part of Regent Quarter, it has traded as a coffee shop and cafe since redevelopment. It’s also the first unit you see when you exit King’s Cross and enter the Islington side of King’s Cross.
Several weeks ago the coffee shop morphed into a Kebab shop with brash and ugly illuminated signage. We need your help to ensure the unit returns to more appropriate usage.
Islington planning have opened a case and have confirmed the unit is trading illegally after 23:00 and has outstanding environmental concerns. They are to advise on the signage change on what was a building that had strict controls when converted.
The enforcement officer can be reached on Andrew.Marx@islington.gov.uk ref: Kebab shop at 2 York Way, N1.
The freeholders have also been contacted who seem unaware of the change!
Any help you can lend is greatly appreciated.

Sean Murray is seeking help with some enforcement action at the southern end of York Way.  Sean writes:

>>The retail unit at 2 York Way occupies a prime position in the regeneration area of King’s Cross. Part of Regent Quarter, it has traded as a coffee shop and cafe since redevelopment. It’s also the first unit you see when you exit King’s Cross and enter the Islington side of King’s Cross.

Several weeks ago the coffee shop morphed into a Kebab shop with brash and ugly illuminated signage. We need your help to ensure the unit returns to more appropriate usage.

Islington planning have opened a case and have confirmed the unit is trading illegally after 23:00 and has outstanding environmental concerns. They are to advise on the signage change on what was a building that had strict controls when converted.

The enforcement officer can be reached on Andrew.Marx@islington.gov.uk ref: Kebab shop at 2 York Way, N1.

The freeholders have also been contacted who seem unaware of the change!

Any help you can lend is greatly appreciated.

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Save the Environment: Help by Recycling Cans

I like walking. Whenever I can I leave the car at home and walk. I walk to the shops, to the library, and many other places as well. Every day I see used aluminum drinks cans dropped on pathways and in hedgerows. If people want to dispose of them this way at least drop them where they can easily be picked up by someone else, and not in a hedgerow or other difficult spot where it is easy to be scratched and prickled by thorns.
Many people have a twinge of conscience about the environment and what we can do voluntarily to help save it. Recycling cans is what we can do easily. All you need do is separate them from the rest of the rubbish and either take them to a recycling centre or leave them in your “recyclables” bin, to be collected by, in our case, the local council.
The one thing we must not do is put them in landfill, because they don’t biodegradable.
Instead of throwing away empty aluminum cans away here are four ways to reuse them.
1. Used ring pull cans could be used as a miniature vase for a flower or two.
2. Rinse out used cans and use them in the garden shed for storing small items such as nails and washers.
3. You could use an old can to practice your putting. Take it to the office and put it on the floor any time you want to practice your putting.
4. Rather than leave your pens and biros scattered all around the house why not put them all together in a used can.
This is just four ideas of what to do with used empty cans. You might well be able to think up many more ideas for recycling cans.

I like walking. Whenever I can I leave the car at home and walk. I walk to the shops, to the library, and many other places as well. Every day I see used aluminum drinks cans dropped on pathways and in hedgerows. If people want to dispose of them this way at least drop them where they can easily be picked up by someone else, and not in a hedgerow or other difficult spot where it is easy to be scratched and prickled by thorns.

Many people have a twinge of conscience about the environment and what we can do voluntarily to help save it. Recycling cans is what we can do easily. All you need do is separate them from the rest of the rubbish and either take them to a recycling centre or leave them in your “recyclables” bin, to be collected by, in our case, the local council.

The one thing we must not do is put them in landfill, because they don’t biodegradable.

Instead of throwing away empty aluminum cans away here are four ways to reuse them.

1. Used ring pull cans could be used as a miniature vase for a flower or two.

2. Rinse out used cans and use them in the garden shed for storing small items such as nails and washers.

3. You could use an old can to practice your putting. Take it to the office and put it on the floor any time you want to practice your putting.

4. Rather than leave your pens and biros scattered all around the house why not put them all together in a used can.

This is just four ideas of what to do with used empty cans. You might well be able to think up many more ideas for recycling cans.

Filed under: Uncategorized by Sebastian No Comments »

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