In what seems a deus ex machina or perhaps deus ex gaia moment, scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report that the miles-long deep sea oil plume which resulted from the BP oil spill has essentially vanished, apparently eaten by microbes previously unknown to science.
Armed with RFID chips and a disdain for those residents who simply refuse to put out their recyclables in a timely manner, an army of "smart" recycling bins will soon descend on Cleveland to enact their green environmental goodness.
The bins will be an expansion of a 15,000 resident experimental program that tracked whether or not people were putting their recycling bins out on the curb. If a resident does not take their bin out for a few weeks, the system is notified and a fine could levied against the offender if a visiting "trash supervisor" determines their normal trash bins are filled with more than 10% recyclable material.
Homeowners with curling asphalt shingles or rotting wooden cedar shake shingles know it’s time to look for a new roof long before water leaks into their homes. For some homeowners, this major home improvement investment can be daunting. It requires research and an understanding of roofing material options to make the best selection for a home.
A colleague sent over this article detailing a mind-blowing nexus of my energy and wildlife work - the discovery of a fairly common salamander species that is literally powered by the sun, at least early on. New research finds that spotted salamander embryos and hatchlings somehow have little bits of algae inside their cells to create energy using photosynthesis. It is the first time this has been observed in any animal with vertebrae.
More importantly, its yet another example of why keeping critters on this planet is so important - we clearly still have a lot to learn from the animal kingdom. Who knows if the humble salamander harbors secrets that will help fix our energy mess...
Provocative, Miami-based architect (and, I would argue, philosopher) Steve Mouzon is on my short list of Other Writers Who Make Me Think. His latest Original Green post does not disappoint, juxtaposing an intriguing comparison between what Steve calls 'the poverty of large' and 'the luxury of small': when we reduce our range, Steve posits, we are better able to improve and enjoy the things on which we focus.
I was at an eco-salon at our Chicago office recently, talking about the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster. The topic of BP’s activities in the Arctic came up and people started laughing when I described BP’s claim that, by drilling an oil well from an artificial island on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Beaufort Sea, it was not actually drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf.
Every crisis reaches a point where there is an Alice in Wonderland moment, where reality is turned on its head and fantasy rules the day. In Vietnam, the Tet offensive was such a moment, when the Pentagon tried to spin the bloody Viet Cong offensive as a military victory for the woefully overmatched South Vietnamese.
Here is the latest from our friends at NativeEnergy, a climate solutions innovator and recognized leader in offering services that reduce carbon emissions that fight global warming, create sustainable jobs, and reduce our country’s dependence on fossil fuels:
Yesterday and today are code orange unhealthy air alert days in the Washington, DC, region where I live. The 95+ degree temperatures and excessive ground-level ozone create extremely unhealthy air – especially for kids, senior citizens, and people with pre-existing health conditions.
These aren't the first days this summer where we've had these warnings, and I know that the Washington, DC, region is not alone in its unhealthy air warnings.
The Wall Street Journal reported on August 10, 2010 that the Obama administration was close to sealing a deal with BP that would make the U.S. business partners with BP’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The idea is that the U.S. would take as collateral a security interest (like a mortgage) in BP’s future oil and gas revenues from Gulf operations for the $20 billion that BP promised to put into escrow. Should that happen, the U.S. Treasury would have a direct financial interest in the success of BP’s oil exploration and production activities in the Gulf until the entire $20 billion is deposited in the escrow fund.
