Green Technology

" ...the first solar panels have been installed on the Paul VI auditorium at the Vatican. ... BBC News reports Pope Benedict has become the first pontiff to harness solar power to provide energy for the Vatican."

"Roof tiles on the Paul VI auditorium, ...  are being replaced by 2,700 solar panels ... photovoltaic cells ... generating enough power to light, heat or cool the 6,000 seat hall ..."


" .... When ... not in use, the surplus energy produced will reportedly be fed into the Vatican's power network."

Via:  CathNews.com  Link

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Many utilities are offering coupons with their bills for lower cost energy savings kits.  One from PECO (servers Philadelphia and region) with electricity and Natural Gas (ex-Philadelphia) includes 3 CFB, Energy Tips wheel, faucet aerators, and other goodies.

Via:  PECO  LINK

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According to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative - recycling is only part of the solution ... where the wood ultimately comes from is also important.

"  SFI Inc. is an independent, non-profit organization responsible for maintaining, overseeing and improving a sustainable forestry certification program that is internationally recognized ..."

" ... SFI 2005-2009 Standard is based on principles and measures that promote sustainable forest management and consider all forest values. ... SFI certification also extends to the market. When they see the SFI label on a product, consumers can be confident they are buying wood or paper from well-managed, legal sources – whether it is reams of paper, packaging or two-by-fours."

Via:  Sustainable Forestry Initiative  LINK

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Citizens Bank will reward customers who GO GREEN - up to $120 / year by making paperless payments.

Read on for more  >>> 

"Green$ense is simple ... it's free. Enroll ... and we'll pay you 10 cents for every paperless payment you make with us - that's 10 cents every time you use your debit card (whether you sign or enter your PIN), make a payment using online bill pay, or have an automatic payment charged to your checking account or debit card. You can earn up to $120 a year!"

" ... even receive a new Green$ense debit card made from recycled plastic."

Via:  Citizens Bank LINK

Continue reading "Bank Rewards those who Go Green" »

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... "SAP’s approach to sustainability is to holistically manage social, environmental and economic risks and opportunities for enhanced profitability, reputation and compliance. The report issued today tracks SAP’s footprint in areas such as facilities management, business travel, water use and waste management. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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See what BNSF is doing to develop a Greener inter modal freight port ... 

"BNSF’s SCIG, will be a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly, near-dock intermodal facility that will have 90 percent less emissions than traditional intermodal yards. ... eliminate millions of truck miles annually from the 710 and other local freeways, reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality, but it will bring hundreds of new, and good paying jobs to the local community.

 Check out this You Tube Video Link

Via:  BNSF Link

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"Think of Green Festival™ as a walk through a sustainable community. ... Individuals along with business and community leaders come together .... Organizations and businesses showcase programs and products that restore the planet and all that inhabit it ..."

" ... the nation's premier sustainability event, where you will see the best in green. ... renowned authors, leaders and educators; great how-to workshops; cutting-edge films; fun activities for kids; organic beer and wine; delicious vegetarian cuisine and diverse live music. Shop in our unique marketplace of more than 350 eco-friendly businesses ..."

"Green Festival™ is the largest sustainability event in the world ... is the only green event that screens exhibitors for their commitment to sustainability, ecological balance  ... offsets 100% of its electricity emissions with clean, renewable energy. ... walks its talk: each year it gets closer to being a zero-waste event.."

The next 2 GreenFestivals are: 

Wasington, DC -              Nov 8 and 9
San Francisco, California - Nov 14, 15, and 16

Via:  GreenFestivals  Link

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Here is an idea that combines Recyvcling with cash for organizations ... 

Read on for more >>> 

" ... Paper Retriever Program promotes recycling by placing distinctive green and yellow Paper Retriever bins (at no cost) in highly visible areas at schools, churches and other non-profit organizations. ... organizations are then paid for the recyclable paper ... in their      
Paper Retriever bin. ..."

Via:  PaperRetriever  Link

Continue reading "Recycle --- with -- Paper Retriever" »

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One of the by-products of bio diesel production is glycerol (a.k.a. glycerine).  Now that bio-diesel is becoming more readily available glycerol is now being considered as an alternative to normal glycol based anti-freeze.

" ...in the (1920s & 30s) glycerin saw some usage, but because of higher cost and weaker freeze point depression, it was not competitive with ethylene glycol. Glycerin is a by-product of the manufacture of biodiesel ... large amount of glycerin generated from high volume usage of biodiesel fuel has resulted in this chemical becoming cost competitive with the glycols currently used in engine coolants. For this reason, and lower toxicity comparable to that of propylene glycol, glycerin deserves to be reconsidered as a base for antifreeze/coolant."

Further work may be needed but this would result is less toxic environmentally friendly anti freeze.

Via:  SAE  Link

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Newly opened condominiums in the Western Suburbs of Philadelphia combine energy efficiency, LEED design standards, a green roof and is within easy walking distance of 2 train stations.

" ... highly efficient energy and mechanical systems meet stringent environmental certification requirements ... making Pembroke North the first multi-family residential buildings to be registered for LEED-certification in the Philadelphia area ...". 

" ... buildings have heating and cooling systems that employ heat pumps connected to extensive underground thermal pipe systems for tremendous energy efficiency. ..."

"LEED FEATURES ... High-Efficiency Window Glass ... Well-Insulated Roof and Exterior Walls ... Natural Light and Views ... Geothermal Heating and Air-Conditioning ... Tankless Hot Water Heaters ... "

Nearby Radnor Middle School also has a green roof ... that's 2 green roofs (at least0 in Radnor, Pa!

Via: Pembroke North  Link

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" ... Czech power group CEZ plans to build a 1.1 billion euro ($1.62 billion) wind park in Romania, the largest of its kind in Europe ... the two-stage, 600 megawatt project ... built 17 km (10 miles) from the Black Sea shore, ... twice the size of the next biggest onshore wind farm in Europe."

" ... half the wind park would come on line in 2009 and the rest a year later ..."

"Investment into renewables is one of the strategic measures we are taking to respond to the adopted energy-climactic package of the EU ..."

Via:  Reuters  LINK

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The idea of bio-based plastics has been around for some time.  The idea is to use a renewable material, like corn, in place of petroleum based raw materials.  Corn and other bio raw materials are abundantly available in the US - where petroleum is not ... 

"Metabolix patented technologies combine bioscience and nature to deliver sustainable solutions for the world's need in plastics, chemicals, and energy with unequaled environmental benefits.

"Mirel is a new family of high performance, biobased plastics that are sustainable and totally biodegradable. Made from corn sugar, ... appropriate for a wide variety of conversion processes and applications.

Via:  Metabolix  LINK

Continue reading "Metabolix Bio Plastics" »

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There are sections for your car, house and office.  Lots of little things that can add up to make you more sustainable.  It is pretty neat!

Take the quiz and see what you already know ... and what you might learn.

>>> Look for their 2 age add with the quiz n magazines ... an easy read!

Via:  ingenuitywelcome  LINK 

Posted by Green Dude at 05:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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AMERIgreen provides biofuels in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.

"... Biofuels are alternative fuels as defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. ... burn cleaner than gasoline and standard home heating oil. ... completely renewable, domestic, environmentally friendly fuels that enhance the nation's economy and energy independence."

" ... is a national leader in distributing branded and unbranded Ethanol, Biodiesel, Bioheating Oil, and Biokerosene! ... provide Blended Biodiesel at our two blending terminals in Highspire and Sinking Springs. PA...."

View their 30 second commercial Link

Via:  AMERIgreen   Link

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We hear a lot in the news about Carbon Footprint.  This is the impact, expressed as an amount of carbon, that an item  produces during its manufacture and distribution.  Do you know what the carbon impact of typical consumer items really are and the major components?

Read on to find out ...

" ... pop quiz, based on a recent Wall Street Journal article ... of various household goods. ... guess their single biggest contribution to global warming. Consider all aspects of the product: raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, and end use...."

Here are two of the six:

" ... Milk. ...once again, cows. ... cows are responsible for about 28% of milk's carbon footprint. If you add in their feed, that figure goes up to 51%, ..."

" ... Calculating carbon emissions is complicated business, ...environmental impacts are spread widely throughout our integrated economy, often hiding in unexpected places...."
Otherwise, a few points do jump out from the analysis.

The first is that transportation costs just aren't the biggest impact for most products. Patagonia could manufacture their jackets in the basement of their stores, and they would barely make a dent in their footprint. In aggregate, of course, transportation makes up a huge percentage of the world's carbon budget, so its importance can't be discounted. But buying local still doesn't seem like the best lever for consumers looking to green their lifestyles.

The second is that products that consume energy in their end use tend to be wildly more environmentally harmful after they get into consumers hands than during manufacturing. In other words, if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, consider driving less.

The third is that cows remain a really big problem without an obvious solution. Methane digester projects like the ones that TerraPass funds help to decrease the impacts of agriculture, but as individuals the best lever we have is to reduce our consumption.

Via:  Terrapass  Link

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Sanyo's Eneloop rechargeable battery is unique in that it keeps its charge (shelf life) longer than conventional batteries and in some ways mimics a regular battery - except it is recyclable.  It also has a novel approach by using a basic AAA and AA format tht can fit inside a C and D size casing to allow one battery to be used in place of several sizes.

" ...eneloop can be charged 1000 times, before it needs to be replaced. ...is delivered pre-charged to the store ... no need to charge-before-use."

Via:  Sanyo Link

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Recycling paper is one effective, easy way to extend lalandfill capacity.  Most places that recycle (like everywhere?) accept newspapers and magazines.  In Philadelphia, some SEPTA train stations have special recycling cans for magazines and newspapers.

The Magazine Publishers of America have a series of public service ads publishers can run ... see pictures in this post.

" ... public service advertisements (PSAs) as part of an industry-wide effort to increase magazine recycling by consumers, ... The three new creative executions, a... deliver the message that magazines can and should be recycled, and that helping the environment is everyone's responsibility. The ads direct consumers to www.Earth911.com for information on how to recycle magazines in their specific geographical location. The tagline on all three ads is "Make It a Habit. Recycle." "

Recycle your magazines ... it's easy ...

Via: Magazine Publishers of America Link

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"Applied Materials  ... announced completion of two SunPower solar power systems totaling 2.1 megawatts at Applied Materials' corporate facilities in Sunnyvale, Calif. ...the largest solar power deployment at a corporate facility in the United States."

" ... includes a 950 kilowatt SunPower PowerGuard(R) installation 
and a 1.2 megawatt SunPower(R) Tracker installation atop an 
elevated parking canopy. ... follows the sun as it moves across the
 sky, increasing sunlight capture by up to 25 percent over 
conventional fixed-tilt systems. Both systems use  SunPower solar
 panels, ...  SunPower uses Applied Materials' Baccini technology in
 its solar cell manufacturing process.

" ... reports that its solar installation has generated 1,413 megawatt hours of power. ... system is 
expected to replace more than 2,700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, ... equivalent to 
the annual carbon emissions from approximately 450 passenger cars."

Via:  PRNewsWire  Link

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" ... world's first and only 100 percent solar-powered Web hosting company, has completed a massive data center consolidation initiative using IBM technology, resulting in a 60 percent reduction in overall power and cooling costs associated with the company's IT operations.

" ... AISO.Net worked ... to overhaul its data center and implement ... IBM's Cool Blue ... to increase their energy efficiency in the data center."

"For the past decade, AISO.Net has used solar power to power our data center and network, ... As a result of the tremendous growth in Web hosting  ... were faced with the dilemma of how to remain true to our commitment to the environment and continue to see rapid, top-line growth. ... Data center consolidation through virtualization eased the strain on AISO.Net's solar panel system and helped ensure the company's 100 percent commitment to solar power. ... "

Via:  IBM  Link

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Villanova University "created" a new wetlands area from a retention basin.  "... existing stormwater detention basin on Villanova University property has been converted into an extended detention wetland BMP (Center for Watershed Protection 1996)  ... wetland treats runoff from a 41 acre site that includes approximately 16 acres of impervious surface, ..."

" ... site has been instrumented to collect flow and level data, as well as conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature measurements.  ... An educational sign has been installed to enhance the learning experience. ..."

Via: Villanova University Link

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"Czech power group CEZ plans to build a 1.1 billion euro ($1.62 billion) wind park in Romania, the largest of its kind in Europe ... the two-stage, 600 megawatt project ...  north of the port of Constanta, and would be around twice the size of the next biggest onshore wind farm in Europe."

" ... half the wind park would come on line in 2009 and the rest a year later, ..."

" CEZ has some 80 wind farms in the Czech Republic at various stage of completion, with a total capacity of 150-220 MW, and the company plans to have 1,000 MW installed capacity in wind farms by 2020."

Via:  Reuters  Link

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... "We believe that reuse is an important part of the solution, and we're proud to say that 68% of our retired server material is re-purposed. Redeploying existing machines saves raw materials, energy, and carbon dioxide emissions by avoiding the manufacture and distribution of new equipment. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Reducing plastic waste is a benefit to everyone (except maybe the folks t hat make plastic packaging).  It adds cost to the final goods and results in waste to throw away and is not yet recyclable.

WalMart in Canada announced on May 12th, 2008 "... goal to reduce the packaging of products sold in its stores,... it will phase out all PVC plastic packaging in the energy saving light bulb category and replace it with ... cardboard packaging. ... will eliminate an estimated 150,000 pounds of PVC plastic waste each year, increase package recyclability and save natural resources."

" ... has a goal to reduce the packaging on the products sold in its stores by five per cent by 2013.  ... impact of removing 213,000 trucks from the road, saving approximately 324,000 tonnes of coal and 67 million gallons of diesel fuel each year.

Continue reading "WalMart Canada to Phase out Some Plastic Packaging" »

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Saving energy means saving money == common sense. 

Know how to get started?  PECO has some ideas for their residential consumers ... including on line calculators to help determine savings and payback times and a PDF format booklet you can download with energy saving tips ...

" ...Take an online room-by-room tour of the ENERGY STAR at home interactive house and learn what you can do to reduce your energy consumption....Calculate your savings with these free Energy Savings Calculators...  Learn more about the benefits of CFLs including the proper methods and locations for disposal....Download an Energy Saver$ booklet, a guide that offers valuable tips to save energy in your home ..."

Continue reading "Exelon / PECO - Energy SavingTips" »

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The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative held the first US Carbon auction int he US on September 25th, 2008 with two more scheduled for December 17th, 2008.

RGGI is a non profit corporation incorporate in Delaware and based in NYC, NY.

"Ten states participate... Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont. ...are implementing the first mandatory cap-and-trade program in the United States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

"Regulated power plants will be able to use a CO₂ allowance issued by any of the ten participating states to demonstrate compliance with an individual state program. In this manner, the ten individual state programs, in aggregate, will function as a single regional compliance market for CO₂ emissions."

Via:  Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative  Link

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Spence Brown was one of the winners in Keen's STAND contest.  His Zero Waste Moving company is described below ..

"Rent-a-Green Box.com is the first, comprehensive zero-waste pack and move solution in America. ... Spencer Brown, a ... eco-entrepreneur is converting trash ... into a suite of sustainable, cradle to cradle, packing and moving products. ... three durable, rentable and reusable moving boxes called Recopacks [ recycled ecological packing solution]. ...
For every 100 Recopacks rented, we remove over 500 pounds of hard to recycle plastic trash from our landfills, prevent over 350 pounds of packing and moving waste entering our landfills, reduce our fuel consumption by 50 gallons, eliminate over 2,500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions from entering our atmosphere and save three trees ..."

Via:  Keen  Link

Continue reading "Zero Waste Moving Company" »

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