By Sean Sullivan •
February 8, 2009
Cut out cut flowers this Valentine’s Day, and you’ll do you part in cutting out carbon.
The cut flower industry is among those that raise the ire of the thoughtful environmentalist. Nearly three of every four cut flowers sold in the US are imported, and a large chunk of those come from South America. Colombia and Ecuador are large growers and exporters of roses, and flowers can be flown in from as far as Europe.
Following those flowers leads one to the unhappy knowledge of all that’s involved in their life cycle, from seed to vase. It’s symbolic of our throw away society that many don’t consider the tremendous waste that’s part and parcel of bringing those flowers to market.
Because cut flowers are especially perishable, they must be flown in over long distances to avoid spoilage. That’s quite a carbon footprint for a product that under best conditions will last a week or so.
By Sean Sullivan •
February 4, 2009
With current political emphasis on kicking fossil fuel habits and modernizing the electrical grid, many are dreaming of Thomas Friedman’s Utopian world of clean, reliable and cheap electrons.
First, if you haven’t read Friedman’s latest book yet, start today. Second, if you’d like to see how some are preparing for this brave new world, read on.
While our electrical power still comes mainly from burning dirty fossil fuels and our electrical transmission grid lies in dire need of modernization, the future of electrical power is a bright spot in our otherwise gloomy energy paradigm.
For while fossil fuels will always be a dirty power source to some extent, there are viable, cleaner ways to generate and deliver electrons.
Locally and renewable-generated power is a promising solution to the inefficiency and pollution of our current system. Individuals interested in sustainability know those bananas flown in from Costa Rica may be a delicious and great source of potassium, but recognize also all the wasted energy spent to transport them.
The same theory holds for the delivery of our energy. Convenient though it may seem to site a coal power plant in someone else’s backyard far, far away, much of that energy is lost when electricity is forced to travel such distances.
By Sean Sullivan •
January 31, 2009
There’s gold in them thar hills!
But to mine it you first must find it, and a revamped website now provides an extremely easy way to do just that. While all that glitters is indeed not gold, this precious resource is far more valuable – wind.
3Tier’s website tool FirstLook allows average Internet users to mine their neighborhoods for wind power potential. Users familiar with Google Maps will feel right at ease with the software, which offers wind assessment for all of North America. For those of us fooled by intentionally vague oil and gas ads, that region includes the US, Canada and Mexico.
Users can type in their town and state, and the site will direct a cursor to the spot. The wind prospector then zooms in for a more detailed view of the resource’s potential for that area. For greater precision, coordinates can be fed into the search in lieu of a town or state. FirstLook essentially puts a push pin in the area of the user’s choice, providing detailed reports of wind resources at that site.
By Sean Sullivan •
January 30, 2009
Is coal going clean?
Not exactly. But new efforts are seeking to give this notoriously dirty fuel source a sustainable and renewable boost.
The Electric Power Research Institute has launched two projects that will infuse solar energy into already existing coal fired electrical generation plants. Solar power and coal have traditionally been the poster children of right and wrong, clean and dirty, [...]
By Sean Sullivan •
January 17, 2009
Someday, the Cape Wind story will become a major Hollywood blockbuster.
Or at least a two-part television miniseries starring Ed Begley Jr. On the Discovery Channel.
The effort to build an offshore wind farm - it would be the US’s first - has thus far been a roller coaster ride for advocates and opponents alike.
If that movie is ever made, this Jan. 18 will occupy a turning point in the story’s script, the day the jury levees its verdict before a rapt courtroom. Here and now, the date stands as a milestone in the life of the Cape Wind drama, marking the release of the farm’s final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The report is an exhaustive seal of approval of sorts, the final official analysis of how the wind project would likely affect its environment.
The federal Minerals Management Service assembled the report, an 800-page tome touching on every aspect of the wind farm - from expected effects on local economies and energy supply to its influence on bat and bird populations.
Adverse effects according to the report, would be mostly negligible or minor with a few moderate effects expected.
By Sean Sullivan •
January 10, 2009
Mark the date.
Planners and volunteers met yesterday to brainstorm for this year’s annual Boston GreenFest, a celebration and education of all things environmental. The fair at City Hall Plaza, which will take place Friday and Saturday this August 21 and 22, includes hundreds of exhibitors and sponsors and promises to be the greenest and fullest showing yet for the Massachusetts festival.
Bright, abundant sunshine and strong winds pervaded the city during the late-morning meeting, natural resources that seemed good omens for the summer festival and that will undoubtedly be featured in solar and wind power exhibits there.
The informal Boston GreenFest committee, comprised of occupations and talents as varied as insurance professional, fundraiser, student and community activist, discussed the character and message of the event, as well as its participants.
“The broadest scope possible is the answer,” said Dr. Karen Weber. “We believe the message has to get out in the broadest sense possible.”
Weber heads Foundation for a Green Future, the organization hosting Boston GreenFest.
