Green Daily http://www.greendaily.com Green Daily http://www.greendaily.com/media/feedlogo.gif Green Daily http://www.greendaily.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Houston's big pain at the pumphttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/10/houstons-big-pain-at-the-pump/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/10/houstons-big-pain-at-the-pump/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/10/houstons-big-pain-at-the-pump/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sometimes everyone wants to talk about the Yankees, and sometimes everyone wants to talk about gas prices. Personally, I'd rather not talk about either. But gas is on everyone's lips, from Hillary Clinton to Chris Matthews, the price of crude is just crude.

But gas prices are only one factor in how much consumers are spending for fuel. Congestion, vehicle size and distance also play major roles. According to Forbes cities like Houston have the cheapest gas, but drivers there are spending the most on gas.

You see, while drivers in Houston are paying a mere $3.44 a gallon for gas, they're also driving huge vehicles. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation study 20-percent of drivers in the south drive trucks and another 16-percent drive SUVs.
That data is about 10 years old. But remember that where gas prices tend to remain inexpensive, habits remain steady. So it's unlikely the numbers have shifted to compacts.

Not only does that mean drivers in Texas get fewer miles to the gallon, they halve that number again with traffic. Congestion and commutes in Houston and Dallas are some of the worst in the nation, according to Forbes. Washington D.C. and San Bernadino are up there as well.

A vehicle gets its best mileage at a steady 55 mph, stop and go traffic at 20 mph is a serious cut to efficiency. It's not just the idling and accelerating, speeds above and below 55 are simply less efficient. An 18 mpg SUV might get 10 mpg in rush hour. Account for an incredibly long commute where every driver is driving by himself and you've got a lot of wallets opening for Mr. Oil.

[via Forbes and me]

 

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]]>Forbes gas pricesForbes Magazine HoustonForbesGasPricesForbesMagazineHoustongas pricesGasPricesHoustonU.S. Department of TransportationU.s.DepartmentOfTransportationSea Stachura2008-05-10T17:05:00 00:00Conservationists score big win in Californiahttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/conservationists-score-big-win-in-california/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/conservationists-score-big-win-in-california/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/conservationists-score-big-win-in-california/#commentsFiled under: ,

Good news, a huge chunk of California is now protected from becoming suburban sprawl. Conservationists and developers finally came to an agreement this week after a long running standoff over what to do with 265,000 acre ranch north of Los Angeles. As the largest contiguous stretch of privately owned-land in California, the ranch has been highly sought after by developers and conservationists alike for its rich biodiversity and its proximity to LA.

Thursday, the Tejon Ranch Co. agreed to protect 90% -- or about 240,000 acres -- of its ranch land from future development. In return, developers get to build their precious condo high-rises and strip malls on the remaining 10% without facing opposition from the Sierra Club or the Natural Resources Defense Council -- and you know that no developer wants to mess with those guys. The 165 year-old ranch covers a lot of prime habitat for the endangered California Condor.

 

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]]>California CondorCaliforniaCondorcondosconservationdevelopersLos AngelesLosAngelesNatural Resources Defense CouncilNaturalResourcesDefenseCouncilSierra ClubSierraClubstrip mallsStripMallssuburban sprawlSuburbanSprawlTejon RanchTejonRanchJosh Loposer2008-05-09T16:06:00 00:00Air travel more polluting than previously thoughthttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/air-travel-more-polluting-than-previously-thought/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/air-travel-more-polluting-than-previously-thought/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/air-travel-more-polluting-than-previously-thought/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The mile-high club just got dirtier. A report by leading aviation experts says that CO2 emissions from air travel are some 20% higher than previously thought, and could reach 1.5 billion tonnes a year by 2025. That's roughly equivalent to the CO2 emissions for the entire country of Russia, with about 141 million people. The percentage of global greenhouse gases produced by planes is also expected to rise from the current 2% to 5% or higher.

The increase comes in spite of cleaner jet engine technologies and flying tactics designed to reduce fuel use and pollution.

The report, entitled Trends in Global Noise and Emissions From Commercial Aviation, was presented at an FAA organized conference in Barcelona last year, but never published.

Also, the number of people seriously affected by aircraft noise will jump from from 24 million in 2000 to 30.3 million by 2025. Good thing we'll all be deaf from iPod use by then anyway.

via [The Independent]

 

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]]>air travelairplanesAirTravelbarcelonaco2faanoise pollutionNoisePollutionpollutionPatrick Metzger2008-05-09T15:03:00 00:00Is golf green?http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/is-golf-green/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/is-golf-green/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/is-golf-green/#commentsFiled under:

Golf Digest recaps the efforts of the golf industry to attempt to go green, amidst golf courses' many problems, including their maintenance, which requires massive amounts of water and chemicals.

John Barton spoke with experts about these attempts to green the green, and here's what he found out. According to these experts, golf will face a crisis over water in the future, as there simply won't be enough water for golf courses to keep using. According to one report cited, the average golf courses uses up to 300,000 gallons of water per day. Solutions include using wastewater for watering, raising mowing heights and using new strains of grass.

Pesticides, and finding eco-friendly replacements, are another problem. And finally, Barton concludes that another of golf's problems is the fact that environmentalism isn't going away and the "freakishly green wall-to-wall grass on a life support system of too much water and toxic chemicals," will go the way of the SUV, "less admired and even stigmatized."

 

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]]>golfGolf DigestGolfDigestJohn BartonJohnBartonPatricia Mayville-Cox2008-05-09T14:30:00 00:00How to become a "creature of new habits"http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/how-to-become-a-creature-of-new-habits/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/how-to-become-a-creature-of-new-habits/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/how-to-become-a-creature-of-new-habits/#commentsFiled under:

Trying to make green changes in your life, but it all seems overwhelming? Taking small steps could be the way to go.

Janet Rae-Dupree explores the science behind how our brain makes new habits, in the New York Times this week. Brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths in our brain and even new brain cells. Pretty cool. The more new things we try, and force ourselves to try, the more creative we become.

Here's the key though. Don't try to kill off the old habits; once they are in the brain, they are there to stay. Instead, you have to create new habits, and new parallel brain pathways.

M.J. Ryan, author of the book, "This Year I Will..." recommends a Japanese technique called kaizen, which promotes tiny, continuous improvements towards a goal. Such small steps don't set off the fear response, but keep us thinking and creative.

 

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]]>greenJanet Rae-DupreeJanetRae-dupreeM.J. RyanM.j.Ryannew habitNewHabitThis Year I WillThisYearIWillPatricia Mayville-Cox2008-05-09T14:02:00 00:00Earthrace update: life's rough on high seashttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earthrace-update-lifes-rough-on-high-seas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earthrace-update-lifes-rough-on-high-seas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earthrace-update-lifes-rough-on-high-seas/#commentsFiled under: ,


For anyone who may not have heard, the Earthrace is a carbon neutral speedboat that's currently trying to set the record for the fastest ever circumnavigation of the globe by sea, cruising entirely on the power of biodiesel. Since they left Spain on April 27, the Earthrace crew has had to endure a busted toilet and a faulty fuel pump, but they've already been able to cover 4,200 miles in their journey around the earth.

They should be pulling in to Puerto Rico sometime this weekend, so they can do some repairs and clean out their stinky boat. According to reports, they lost the comfort of their $10,000 toilet somewhere near the Azores and their sleeping quarters have been flooded with 2 inches of biodiesel for weeks. For the crew's sake, let's just hope that they're not using 'biodiesel' as a pseudonym for 'sewage.'

Even with the setbacks, the boat is on pace to break the current record -- even though the failed fuel pump has forced them to slow down to 23mph almost the entire way. The Earthrace boat is no stranger to adversity. Last year, they tried the same run and collided with a fishing boat in Guatemala and were shot at by the Colombian Navy. Track the Earthracers and their progress here.

 

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]]>biodieselCable and WirelessCableAndWirelesscircumnavigateEarrthracespeedboatwolrd recordWolrdRecordJosh Loposer2008-05-09T13:30:00 00:00Earth decides to eat oil equipmenthttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earth-decides-to-eat-oil-equipment/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earth-decides-to-eat-oil-equipment/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/09/earth-decides-to-eat-oil-equipment/#commentsFiled under: ,


A giant sinkhole opened up in Daisetta, Texas Wednesday, swallowing up oil tankers, oilfield equipment, cars, and a few telephone poles. Officials aren't quite sure what caused the huge, 600-ft. across piece of earth to give way, but I'm pretty sure I know why it happened: the Earth is really pissed off. All of that abuse to our environment has really come home to roost and now Mother Earth is fighting back.


OK, I don't really mean that literally. Although it might be kinda cool to see a movie-like attack by the forces of nature, that's probably not what's behind the crater. Most people suspect that this freaky black hole has developed as a result of Daisetta's history -- it's an oil boomtown back in the day.

During theTexas oil boom, drilling companies weren't know for doing much research before they started drilling holes in the ground. So, the giant pit is probably the result of some kind of irresponsible drilling in an unstable area -- how symbolic. Who knows, maybe the Earth is exacting its revenge on the oil industry. Just in case, don't stand too close to any oil refineries.

 

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]]>boomtownDaisettaHoustonLiberty CountyLibertyCountyoil fieldOilFieldsink holeSinkHoletankerTexasJosh Loposer2008-05-09T12:05:00 00:00We're Number 1! North Americans least green in worldhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/were-number-1-north-americans-least-green-in-world/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/were-number-1-north-americans-least-green-in-world/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/were-number-1-north-americans-least-green-in-world/#commentsFiled under: ,

North Americans may talk the green talk, but we're apparently too lazy to walk the walk. The US and Canada came in first and second respectively in a survey which measured the environmental unfriendliness of consumers around the world. The study, conducted for the National Geographic Society, asked people in 14 countries about their lifestyles, including questions on housing, food, and transport, and then gave them a green score on a scale of one to a hundred.

Reasons for the low marks in North America had to do with things like large houses, a preference for driving over public transit, and (not surprisingly in Canada) considerable use of home heating. Developing countries showed a smaller environmental footprint, probably because poverty, which usually involves tiny houses and nonexistent cars, is far less energy-intensive than wealth.

Beside the US and Canada, countries measured in the survey were Brazil, India, China, Mexico, Hungary, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, Spain, Japan and France.

via [CBC News]

 

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]]>canadaconsumerenvironmental footprintEnvironmentalFootprintnational geographicNationalGeographicsurveyusaPatrick Metzger2008-05-08T14:06:00 00:00Wind power update: 2008 is getting windyhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/wind-power-update-2008-is-getting-windy/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/wind-power-update-2008-is-getting-windy/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/wind-power-update-2008-is-getting-windy/#commentsFiled under: ,

2008 is on pace to be the windiest year ever for the US. That is, in terms of energy production. It's not a huge surprise to learn that wind turbines are selling like hotcakes compared to other years on record, especially with oil going for over $120 a barrel. In the first 3 months of this year, 1,400 MW of wind generating capacity had already already been installed -- that's enough to power 400,000 homes.

Gallery: Wind Farms

Off-shore Turbine -- UKWind Farm in IowaWind Farm in IowaKamaoa Wind Farm -- HawaiiPalm Springs Wind Farm


In total, 5,600MW worth of wind turbines will be cranking by the end of 2008, edging out the current record of 5,300MW set in 2007. One of the forces driving the wind boom -- aside from a public outcry for renewable energy like we've never seen -- is that developers are in a race to finish their projects by the 4th quarter this year -- just in case congress doesn't extend production tax credits that are now in place. It's hard to imagine lawmakers pulling the tax credits though, when there's $11.5B of wind energy investment capital at stake.

 

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]]>5600MWAmerican Wind Energy AssociationAmericanWindEnergyAssociationcongressrecord yearRecordYearrenewable energyrenewable energy tax creditsRenewableEnergyRenewableEnergyTaxCreditswind boomWindBoomJosh Loposer2008-05-08T13:30:00 00:00Ford kicks it into 6th gearhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/ford-kicks-it-into-6th-gear/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/ford-kicks-it-into-6th-gear/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/ford-kicks-it-into-6th-gear/#commentsFiled under: ,

When it comes to boosting your car's fuel efficiency, you can find all sorts of miracle products that claim to boost your mileage by as much as 50% -- but don't waste your time, they're pipe dreams. When comes down to it, there are no shortcuts -- but there are plenty of small steps automakers can take. One of those is more efficient transmissions, like the one that Ford is introducing into its fleet in 2009.

Ford's new 6-speed high-efficiency transmissions increases mileage by 4% to 6%. It may not sound like much, but every little bit helps. Most automatic transmissions these days have only 4 gears. Adding 2 gears not only allows your car to accelerate more efficiently -- which saves gas -- but it also keeps your RPMs lower at highway speeds. Basically, it's like having a second overdrive.

In 2009, the new transmissions will make their debut in the Ford Escape and the Mercury Mariner, both of them SUVs. I'm not sure Ford is sending the most environmentally-conscious message in their choice of vehicles here, but any improvement is welcome -- even if it is just 1mpg. According to Ford, the new 6-speed automatic gear boxes will be installed in 98% of its vehicles by 2012.

 

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]]>6-speed6F356th gear6thGearEscapeFordMarinerMercurymileageMPGtransmissionJosh Loposer2008-05-08T12:00:00 00:00CO2 is poisoning cute Koalashttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/co2-is-poisoning-cute-koalas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/co2-is-poisoning-cute-koalas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/08/co2-is-poisoning-cute-koalas/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to the research of Sydney University's Ian Hume, rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere can turn eucalyptus leaves -- the Koala's favorite food -- into a toxic salad of death. Apparently, the heightened level of carbon dioxide not only saps the nutrients from the leaves that Koalas need to survive, but it also increases production of toxic "anti-nutrients" in the eucalyptus plant. Bummer.

The Koala's eucalyptus diet is notoriously low in nutritional value as it is, and they've adapted to it by sleeping nearly 20 hours a day. Now with strange anti-nutrients blocking the digestion of the few proteins in the leaves, the Koala is faced with any even greater uphill battle. With the current level of CO2 in the atmosphere, Hume expects a steady decline in Koala population over the next 50 years due to a lack of edible eucalyptus leaves. This is obviously bad news for one of Australia's national symbols. At least the kangaroos are mating like rabbits.

 

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]]>anti-nutrientscarbon emissionsCarbonEmissionsCO2eucalyptusIan HumeIanHumekangaroosKoalasSydney UniversitySydneyUniversityJosh Loposer2008-05-08T09:00:00 00:00Global warming to kill off insectshttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/global-warming-to-kill-off-insects/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/global-warming-to-kill-off-insects/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/global-warming-to-kill-off-insects/#commentsFiled under: , ,

You may have to wave goodbye to your ant farm - climate change may prove to be a more powerful pesticide than DDT. New research shows that even relatively minor fluctuations in temperature could have devastating effects on insects, especially in the world's tropical regions.

An article in the Independent quotes Curtis Deutsch, who co-authored the study to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, as saying that although temperatures are not expected to increase as much in the tropics as at the poles, even a 1C or 2C jump could be fatal for insects already surviving at their edge of their climactic comfort zone.

While that doesn't sound like it's all downside, especially for anyone who's been up north during blackfly season, the repercussions could be pretty ugly. Insects in warm climates are key to a healthy environment, pollinating flowers and plants, carrying away organic waste (read: eating crap) and serving as dinner for various birds and animals. If the bugs fail to adapt to a changing climate, the consequences will be felt all the way up the food chain.

 

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]]>climate changeClimateChangecurtis deutschCurtisDeutschextinctioninsectsnational academy of sciencesNationalAcademyOfSciencesproceedings of the n...ProceedingsOfTheN...tropicsuclaPatrick Metzger2008-05-07T14:28:00 00:00Germany says biofuels aren't to blame for food priceshttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/germany-says-biofuels-arent-to-blame-for-food-prices/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/germany-says-biofuels-arent-to-blame-for-food-prices/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/germany-says-biofuels-arent-to-blame-for-food-prices/#commentsFiled under: , ,

As the debate about biofuels rages on, German ministers are sticking to their guns when it comes to renewable energy targets. Despite pressure from the UN to cut back on crop fuels, Germany's environmental minister Sigmar Gabriel says that Germany should go ahead with its plans to use 10% biofuels by 2020.

According to Gabriel, the spike in food prices is coming from a variety of sources like poor harvests, increased global demand, and huge growth in commodities investment. The real culprit in the global food crunch isn't the growing market for biofuels, he says. Instead, it's speculators that have driven commodity prices to astronomical levels, breaking down the normal relationship between supply and demand. Of course, the same can be said about the price of oil.

 

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]]>biofuelcommoditiesethanolEUfood pricesFoodPricesGermanySigmar GabrielSigmarGabrielspeculatorsUNUSJosh Loposer2008-05-07T13:00:00 00:00Business schools face increased pressure to promote sustainabilityhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/business-schools-face-increased-pressure-to-promote-sustainabili/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/business-schools-face-increased-pressure-to-promote-sustainabili/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/business-schools-face-increased-pressure-to-promote-sustainabili/#commentsFiled under: ,

A new report from the Global Foundation for Management Education finds that educators might find it difficult to keep up with changing demographics and an increasing emphasis on sustainability worldwide. For instance, in order to keep up with other associations and schools with an environmental focus, business school institutions will have to hire and train more professors and administrators, and the reports from environmental accreditation groups will become more meaningful.

To help the institutions grow, the foundation recommends that schools foster strong partnerships with environmental associations, as well as business and government leaders.


Or, you could eschew "regular" business school altogether and apply to places like the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, which integrates sustainability through every course, and maintains an overall focus on environmental and social responsibility. (Your final degree? Why, an MBA in Sustainable Business, of course).

All in all, the foundation's study seems to be a positive thing. Many business schools have the reputation of being stuffy, with older professors that have a "my way or the highway" attitude when it comes to business and management. Integrating new professors and a new emphasis on environmentalism seems to be an inevitable step, what with the way eco-consciousness has invaded our society and businesses around the world. We want the people managing these businesses to know as much about these new practices as possible, right?

 

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]]>bainbridgebusinessbusiness schoolBusinessSchooldegreegovernmentgraduateMBAprofessorsustainableteacherEllen Slattery2008-05-07T12:00:00 00:00Citizen petition for nanotech regulation filedhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/citizen-petition-for-nanotech-regulation-filed/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/citizen-petition-for-nanotech-regulation-filed/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/citizen-petition-for-nanotech-regulation-filed/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last week, the International Center for Technology Assessment and a coalition of environmental and public health groups, including the the Center for Food Safety, Greenpeace, and Consumers Union, filed a citizen petition asking that the EPA regulate nanosilver as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act .

Nanosilver has been added to a host of consumer products -- everything from sheets to bus handrails to children's toys -- for its antimicrobial properties.


In 2006, the EPA said it would regulate consumer products with nanosilver after environmentalists raised concerns about silver-embedded washing machines. Specifically, they were concerned that the amount of silver washed into waste drains from these machines was killing beneficial bacteria and altering aquatic life, as the silver particles may be toxic to some fish.

Despite the EPA's word of forthcoming regulation, the agency has only published a guidance covering the Samsung SilverCare washer. No other regulations or guidance have been issued.

 

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]]>antimicrobialantimicrobialsepananosilvernanotechnologypesticidepesticidesregulationswaste waterWasteWaterMelissa Schober2008-05-07T10:44:00 00:00Improve the environment by...burning trash?http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/improve-the-environment-by-burning-trash/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/improve-the-environment-by-burning-trash/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/improve-the-environment-by-burning-trash/#commentsFiled under: ,


Just the other day, Shawn reminded us how hazardous it is to burn paper and cardboard. So why in the world would Nairobi instate a program that encourages this act?

Because the government does not recognize Nairobi's slums (like Kibera), those who live there have no city services like trash pickup. The rubbish builds and builds, creating a noxious stench and seeping into the water where children play. But several people - including an environmental firm - have an idea that might change all that.
It's called a community cooker. After trial and error, they came up with a way to burn the slum's trash: burning oil and then mixing it with vaporized water droplets to result in a super-hot smoke without the dangerous toxins.

The cooker is also creating jobs. Young men go around and collect rubbish, which they can exchange for cooking time at the cooker, or hot water for washing. And in addition to sanitizing water, the cooker will soon be used for baking bread and cakes.

Members of the community are also noticing improvement in their general health, now that the rubbish is being cleaned up and properly disposed of.

The project sounds promising - but is the resulting smoke being produced by the cooker actually safe?

 

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]]>Africaburning trashBurningTrashcommunity cookerCommunityCookerincinerateNairobirubbishEllen Slattery2008-05-07T10:00:00 00:00Bald eagle to get bionic beakhttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/bald-eagle-to-get-bionic-beak/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/bald-eagle-to-get-bionic-beak/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/bald-eagle-to-get-bionic-beak/#commentsFiled under:

Imagine trying to eat a bowl of marbles with one chopstick -- pretty frustrating, right? Welcome to a day in the life of Beauty the bald eagle. The top side of her beak was shot off by some treasonous idiot near Anchorage (what would Stephen Colbert think about that?), where she was later found trying to survive by eating trash at the local landfill. Since then she's been hand fed everyday by Jane Cantwell at her raptor recovery center in Idaho, but that could soon change thanks to the help of a prosthetic beak.

For the last two years, Jane has be rounding up a team of engineers to design a bionic beak so that Beauty can once again eat without assistance. A dentist, veterinarian, and other volunteers are developing a nylon composite replacement to be glued on to what's left of Beauty's disfigured upper beak.

Since the beak won't be strong enough to tear up prey, Beauty can't be released back into the wild, buy she will be able to drink water and eat the food provided at the raptor ranch. Her life expectancy with the new beak is about 50 years -- I had no idea that eagles lived that long. If you like animal recovery stories, you should check out Jonathon's post about the bionic turtle.

 

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]]>Bald EagleBaldEaglebionic beakBionicBeakJane Fink CantwellJaneFinkCantwellnylonprostheticraptorsStephen ColberStephen JuniorStephenColberStephenJuniorJosh Loposer2008-05-07T09:30:00 00:00Can Exxon freeze the CO2 out of gas?http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/can-exxon-freeze-the-co2-out-of-gas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/can-exxon-freeze-the-co2-out-of-gas/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/07/can-exxon-freeze-the-co2-out-of-gas/#commentsFiled under: ,

Exxon announced this week that it's developed an experimental process to affordably remove CO2 and hydrogen sulfide from natural gas. The plans include a $100M test facility, to be built this summer in LaBarge, Wyoming, where the petroleum giant will test out it's "Controlled Freeze Zone" technology -- attempting to freeze and remove many of the greenhouse components from natural gas.

If the freezing process turns out to be a winner, Exxon will be able to produce cleaner burning fuel while also making it cheaper to process "sour gas" -- that's gas containing high levels of hydrogen sulfide. The leftover CO2 could be used in oilfield recovery projects, or stored underground -- a pretty controversial idea in itself. Do you think it's crazy to keep working on ways to make fossil fuels cleaner, like freezing gas or clean coal? Or, should these oil companies be spending their money on a more sustainable technology?

 

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]]>clean coalCleanCoalCO2 removalCo2RemovalControlled Freeze ZoneControlledFreezeZoneExxongreenhouseMobilnatural gasNaturalGasoil companiesOilCompaniesJosh Loposer2008-05-07T08:30:00 00:00High gas prices driving small car saleshttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/high-gas-prices-making-small-cars-popular/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/high-gas-prices-making-small-cars-popular/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/high-gas-prices-making-small-cars-popular/#commentsFiled under: ,

Keeping up with the Joneses may soon mean recycling the Hummer and putting a 4 banger econobox in the driveway. The New York Times reports that soaring gas prices are making compact cars popular again, with1 in 5 vehicles purchased in April falling into the compact or subcompact category. That's an increase from 1 in 8 only a decade ago.

Experts predict that with gas prices unlikely to drop soon - well, ever - the era of the massive SUV may be over. This is bad news for US automakers, who in spite of years of warning from economists, environmentalists, and peak oil conspiracy theorists, have failed to develop a strong line of small cars to match overseas manufacturers like Toyota and Honda.

The trend proves again what we already knew - that people respond to events that hit their wallet, not their conscience. If gas prices hit 10 bucks a gallon, look for strong growth in sales of bicycles, in-line skates, and walking shoes.

 

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]]>automakerscompact carsCompactCarshondasubcompactstoyotaPatrick Metzger2008-05-06T13:30:00 00:00Beavers are friends, not foehttp://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/beavers-are-friends-not-foe/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/beavers-are-friends-not-foe/http://www.greendaily.com/2008/05/06/beavers-are-friends-not-foe/#commentsFiled under: ,

Okay, so they're kind of annoying, and they can destroy irrigation canals and be general pests.

But beavers might actually be a great resource to help quell the effects of climate change, as we suffer from warmer water, and less of it. Biologists in the Southwest explain that, when beavers built their dams, it slows down the water flow, making it last longer and giving it more time to seep into the earth.

Dams also hold back the melting snow that comes off of the mountains, and keeps the water at a slow, steady stream, making it last longer into the summer months. One biologist describes beavers as "cheap labor" - lots of management for a small about of money.

What's more, dams provide great habitats for trout, insects, and birds. See? Those cute little devils are more helpful than we thought.


 

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]]>beaversclimate changeClimateChangedamsirrigationmountainsouthweststreamutahwaterEllen Slattery2008-05-06T13:00:00 00:00