Green Daily

If you wanna learn more about shrinking your lawn's footprint, a bike that pedals for you, or why Robert Redford is laying the smack down on a new eco-suburb, today's Eco-Beat has got the scoop on all sorts of awesome green news and tips.

California Homes Could be Energy Independent by 2020 It's a crazy long shot, but California lawmakers want all homes built after 2020 to be energy self-sufficient. While that would be amazing, it would pretty much require that your entire roof be covered with solar panels.

Robert Redford Campaigns Against Eco-Village You read that right, Robert Redford has joined a campaign to shut down a 380 home eco-development in Napa Valley. If you're like him, you're wondering: what could be 'eco' about a new 380 home development in Napa?

Spring is Here, Time to Cut Your Lawn's Emissions Emissions-free push mowers are getting way easier to deal with. The latest models weigh less than 20 lbs. and the blades never need to be sharpened. They'll still give you a good (408 calories/hr) workout, though.

The Moped Goes Electric It's greener than driving and a lot more fun. This little motorbike does 20mph for 20 miles, then it is on you to provide the pedal power.

Is Bo a Rescue Dog At All? The overwhelming consensus seems to be: not really. Some say there's a "gray area," but it seems pretty clear that Bo was not a true shelter puppy. Hence, the Obamas settled for making a donation to the HSUS.

Green in a Flash:

• Good news! US power plants will burn 2.6% less coal this year.
  
• Two major sports arenas have received LEED certification this week.
• Are recent pirate attacks linked to over-fishing?

Celebs eating monkey brains, green skyscrapers, and a natural alternative to deodorant that involves scraping your armpit with a rock ... all sorts of weird/awesome green news and tips are filling the headlines today.

Jesse McCartney's in Hot Water with PETA Jesse thought he was being open-minded when he agreed to dine on some monkey brains during a recent trip to Asia. PETA says Jesse's the one who needs to evolve.

Ditch the Deodorant for a Rock and Some Clay? Can a volcanic rock and a bowl of clay really repel my post-workout stink? Or does the idea itself reek? I'm pretty skeptical.

New Homes in Your State Might Come With Solar Panels I'll take the 3/2 floor plan with sustainable bamboo floors, granite counter tops, and the optional solar package. How awesome would that be?

Empire State Building Gets Greenovated My favorite super-tall, Art Deco skyscraper is getting a green makeover. A wind turbine will stand on each corner of the rooftop, dwarfing the spire -- err, something like that.

Holy Collapsing Ice Bridge, Batman Not to be downer, but an ice shelf the size of Jamaica collapsed into the ocean in Antarctica. The way I see it, the only thing left to do is break it into cubes and serve them in high-end cocktails. There's your free get rich quick scheme of the day.

Green in a Flash:

• The Obama administration is being sued for having weak MPG standards.
• Construction has begun on a seven-mile wall to keep Rio de Janeiro's slums from expanding into the rainforests.
• The world's first wooden "heavy traffic road bridge" has been completed in the Netherlands, made of eco-friendly wood.

2008 may have been the year that solar power started popping up in more places than your calculator.

The Solar Energy Industries Association announced in a report today that solar energy capacity increased by 17 percent last year. Government stimulus programs have helped get that growth rate and this year's stimulus package has a bunch of provisions for getting solar power closer to the main stream.

And the not-so-good news? While the survey said that 2008 was a great year, 2009 may be a different story. The global meltdown hit the industry pretty hard in the first quarter. The financial crisis has dried up a lot of financing for an industry that requires a lot of cash (getting power from photovoltaic panels costs three times as much as wind-generated energy).

So, what's going to boost the solar industry? The solar folks are looking for federal policies that would mandate a percentage of US energy come from renewable power. They also want a "solar carve-out" policy that would ensure a certain percentage of renewable energy come from sun power. Similar requirements have already been implemented in a dozen individual states but the industry is looking for federal policies to really get solar going.

To help you harness the power of the sun cheaply this summer, Ikea will be rolling out a lineup of kitschy outdoor lighting products -- complete with solar panels and rechargeable batteries -- to add a little mood/safety lighting to your backyard gardenscape. While Ikea has yet to start selling cheap flat-pack DIY rooftop solar arrays, they seem to be wholeheartedly embracing off-the-grid outdoor lighting. Though they're not on sale yet, you can check out the products online here.

One of the coolest features of Ikea's solar collection -- aside from the fact that some of them look like lightsabers -- is that they allow you to move away from wires and plugs, replacing old incadescents with low-energy LEDS that last four times longer. I like using solar powered LEDs for lighting outdoor pathways, because there are no wires to deal with and you can rearrange them whenever you want with a low hassle factor. Unfortunately, some of Ikea's setups will have wires connecting your domes or lightsabers to a central panel. Still, they look cool and perhaps more importantly: they're cheap.

[via Inhabitat]

Lots of people with rooftop solar arrays are making a significant dent in their A/C's power consumption. Unfortunately, few of us can afford enough panels to completely power even a high-efficiency unit. If you think the answer is more photovoltaics, you might be looking at the wrong side of the equation. The Denver-based start-up Coolerado has designed a super low-energy, CFC-free A/C unit that can operate entirely from a small-scale solar array, and even boost generation.

It's a sad day sports fans, one of Southern California's favorite solar companies is selling off the residential side of their business, presumably because no one is willing or able to finance rooftop panels these days. Borrego Solar announced Wednesday that it would no longer be converting rooftops into solar generators unless they belong to the commercial or government sectors -- effective immediately. I'm guessing that will put a damper on their Sam's Club kiosk business.

Taking over Borrego's residential division is Vermont-based groSolar, a company that operates in 12 states and in Canada. These guys seem to know what they're doing, but it certainly looks like they're making a leap of faith. Considering the market collapse, layoffs, the mortgage crisis, and the credit crunch, my spidey senses are telling me that Borrego sold out because nobody was buying. Probably because very few homeowners could get approved for the hefty loan necessary to pimp their roof. That being the case, GroSolar must have got Borrego's business for pennies on the dollar. Hopefully, it was worth the pennies.

[via Earth2Tech]

Sure, the iPhone can boast a smorgasbord of sweet apps, but does it have a solar panel? While the Apples and Blackberries (what's the deal with the fruit references?) of the phone world duke it out to create the most fashionable "it" phone, Samsung has been quietly been developing the ultimate eco-phone. Wisely resisting the temptation to beat us over the head with the phone's greenness, Samsung has chosen to go with the name Blue Earth for the world's first solar powered cell phone.

As you can see in the photo, the Blue Earth is all business in the front, panels in the back. And despite that the phone is still very pocket-friendly, the panels can actually harvest enough energy to fully charge the phone. Like other eco-friendly phones on the market, the Blue Earth's casing is completely non-toxic and made from recycled plastic bottles. For those of you worried about practical stuff, the fully touch screen phone functions as a pedometer (to encourage walking), and has a battery saving "eco mode" that moderates things like screen brightness and Bluetooth.

More details will be released after Samsung unveils the phone during this years Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Word has it that the Blue Earth will hit the streets in late 2009.

[via Inhabitat]

Researchers at the Australian National University have teamed up with Spark Solar Australia and Finland-based Braggone Oy to develop a cheaper, more efficient, spray-on solar panel. Unlike the roll-on solar project going on at Swansea in Wales, these "spary-on" panels wouldn't be applied to your house in liquid form. Instead, the spray-on aspect of these panels refers to a change in the manufacturing process.

Conventional solar panels are manufactured through a complex process involving vacuums, hydrogen in plasma form, silicon, and other expensive junk like that. This process is what makes solar photovoltaics so darn expensive. If ANU's research pans out, PV panels could be manufactured by simply spraying on a hydrogen film and then a anti-reflective film on a conveyor belt. Not only would these panels be much cheaper, but researchers are also hopeful that they can achieve greater energy gathering efficiency that conventional panels by experimenting with alternative materials. Heck, even if the efficiency isn't one bit better, we could all afford to by more panels. So, it's a win-win.

[via Clean Technica]

Recession or not, this might be the year to make some home improvements. Federal tax credits for energy-efficient home improvement had lapsed in 2008, but were reinstated for 2009.

This means that if you install insulation, replace windows, get a new water heater or certain kinds of HVAC systems, you can claim a cumulative credit of up to $500.

Your new, more efficient appliances will also save you money by using less energy, so you can compound your budget benefits!

For example, if you install a Rheem Tankless Water Heater (they sent me the press release about the tax credits, so they get a shout out), you will earn a credit of up to $300. On top of that, you will use an estimated 30% less energy.

Plus, it's so eco-cool and streamlined to have a tankless water heater -- have you seen one in action? They give you endless hot water with seriously reduced guilt.

Well, reduced, not eradicated, you should still be responsible about your water use. But it's nice to know you'll always have enough hot water to rinse out a head full of shampoo, regardless of how many people took a shower ahead of you.

I am totally installing one in my all-bamboo green dream house, along with a very sophisticated grey water system and mad solar panels ... if only I had the money to build it this year to take advantage of the tax credits!

Won't it be awesome when there are robots to do all the boring junk we don't want to do? We've already got robots vacuuming our houses and trimming the lawn, so it's only natural that in the future we'll enlist our robo-servants to do something else we don't want to do: shovel our driveways. That day may come sooner than you think. The iShovel is a solar powered robo-snow plow that allows you to sleep in all cozy and warm as it does the grunt work.

The iShovel being called 'the world's first robotic solar snow plow,' and without doing any real fact checking, I'm just going to assume that the iShovel is a legitimate first in the world of enabling robots for lazy people. One fully charged iShovel can clear up to 4,000 square feet on a single charge. While the manufacturing process and materials may be a different story, at least the zero-emissions iShovel runs on solar power, making it at least somewhat eco-friendly. It also replaces those carbon spewing snow blowers.

[via Treehugger]

Now that Christina has educated us on how to upcycle a champagne cork holder into a tiny chair, the next step is getting a tiny, eco-friendly McMansion to put it in. Enter Smartgear's eco-friendly wooden dollhouse. Equipped with its own solar panels, rainwater collection system, wind turbine, recycling bins, and what is supposedly a bike (but looks more like a scooter), this dollhouse will hopefully teach your children about low impact living. Because we know programming a child to make good life decisions is as easy as giving them the proper educational toy at the exact right age.

Not only is the Wonderworld "Eco House" decked out with all sorts of green living add-ons, the materials used to contruct this amazing plaything are also environmentally-conscious. Wonderworld uses only water-based paints, replinishable rubber, and non-toxic laquers to keep their production in harmony with the planet. All joking aside, the Eco House does have a lot more to offer high tech kids than the average dollhouse -- and it's a little less preachy than the stranded polar bear playroom rug.

[via Inhabitat]

The Vatican Christmas tree, in St. Peter's Square in Rome, was lit on Saturday. Along with that came some good news; the wood from the tree will be recycled to make toys for needy children.

The tree is over 100 feet high and came from the forests of Southern Austria and is the largest tree ever to be placed in St. Peter's Square. According to the Vatican, all of the wood will be used to make toys for needy children and garden furniture such as benches for school. I'm sure demand for those toys and benches will be high.

This decision is one of the latest from the Vatican in an effort to go green. Last month, the Vatican activated their solar roof, which will provide 20% of the city-state's power by 2020.

Over the last few months, I've uncovered a disturbing trend in the green media world. No, it's not a sci-fi Soylent Green type conspiracy where the dead are used to feed our energy addiction. It's that we're all obsessed (myself included) with death -- see here, here, here, and here. And why is that? Maybe because we hope to find a way to become helpful to the fight against climate change, even after we've taken a dirt nap. Just like those residing in this Spanish cemetery.

After conducting an exhaustive search, the town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet couldn't find a suitable piece of ground to carry out their renewable energy plans, so they decided to build a giant solar array over the town's 4 square kilometer cemetery. At first, there was indignation, but after an awareness campaign, the complaints have for the most part subsided. Instead, many even feel proud that the cemetery is now part of the town energy network.

• Green Blog Tour: Post-election edition
  Patricia looks at the what's going on in green news after an historic election night.
• Eco Couture: UK designer introduces first carbon negative suit
  Josh looks at some sharp threads that go beyond eco-friendly.
• Wash your solar panels!
  Get the (eco-friendly) glass cleaner out . Better yet, let Shawn describe an automated solar panel cleaner.
• Prisons save by going green
  Sea looks at the greening of the world behind bars.
• A rundown of carbon footprint tests
  So much eco-guilt, so many footprint calculators. Sea examines some of the more popular carbon calculators around.

Good news for solar power enthusiasts - in only eight years, solar power could become cheaper than the dirtier power-producing sources we use today.

And eight years should work well. American government tax breaks for the solar industry are set to expire in 2016, which is eight years from now.

While the idea of solar power has been getting me all nerd-ed out since my first solar-powered calculator, the reality is that it produces a measly 1% of energy for the United States. In order for it to stay competitive with more polluting coal or natural gas, the industry has relied on government subsidies.

If solar power gets cheaper than regular power, those subsidies would not be necessary. Turns out we can partly thank India and China for this. Power demands from Asia will continue to grow, even if the global economy continues its slump. This will keep coal and gas prices high (coal prices, alone, rose by 163% in 2008) and make solar power more attractive.