Green Options » CO2 http://greenoptions.com/tag/co2 Posts tagged 'CO2' Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en New Zealand Environment Court Says No to Huge Wind Farm http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:26:46 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/
What would have been the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wind farm, a $2 billion NZD ($1.4 billion USD) and 630 MW wind farm in New Zealand, is not happening because New Zealand’s Environment Court says that it would ruin the surrounding landscape.

This project would have powered over a million homes and made a huge dent in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is not happening now because of a group of NIMBY activists and the Environment Court’s ruling.

This is a huge blow, in itself, to renewable and wind energy proponents, but it also brings concerns for future wind energy projects.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/11/09/new-zealand-environment-court-says-no-to-huge-wind-farm/feed/ SuperFreakonomics Redux: Even Congress is Riled Up http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/30/superfreakonomics-redux-even-congress-is-riled-up/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/30/superfreakonomics-redux-even-congress-is-riled-up/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:15:26 +0000 Dave Levitan http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/30/superfreakonomics-redux-even-congress-is-riled-up/ Last week I wrote in this space that when faced with a problem (global warming, carbon dioxide emissions) that so clearly requires huge top-down action from governments the world over, what two contrarians write in a book doesn’t exactly bother me that much. It bothers Joe Romm at Climate Progress, clearly, and now, well, I’ve got even less company, because members of Congress are pissed off too.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/30/superfreakonomics-redux-even-congress-is-riled-up/feed/ Whisky - Real Slow Food http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/19/whisky-real-slow-food/ http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/19/whisky-real-slow-food/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:57:34 +0000 Keith Rockmael http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/19/whisky-real-slow-food/ Before the recent Whisky Fest in San Francisco, a select group gathered for a whisky tasting of the Bowmore whisky which in itself should be deemed a special treat especially when sipping on the 25 year Bowmore single malt and the 44 year old (older than most us in the room) Bowmore Gold, which up until that moment had only been savored by a few ones in the U.S. Toss in the fact that we sampled this whiskey at the classic power lunch spot meets oh la la One Market and everything seemed to be going as smooth as the and Bowmore 12 and the Tombo Tuna (we hope wild caught).

But of course, being in San Fran, we struck up the whole Green thing as far as Bowmore and whisky production. The Bowmore crew being from Scotland aren’t exactly strangers when it comes to Green or sustainable practices. After all, we would have to say that whisky might be one of the ultimate slow foods. A few tastes later only spurred the spirited dialogue. The fact that Bowmore came in second in the Green Apple award a few years ago impressed us. We even liked the fact that they got downright innovative in the fact that they use the waste heat generated from the stills plant to not only dry the barley but heat the local public swimming pool as well. They also use the generated hot water to pre-heat the facility that works like a form of radiant heating.

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]]> http://eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/19/whisky-real-slow-food/feed/ The Cartoonist vs. Big Coal (cartoons) http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/13/the-cartoonist-vs-big-coal-cartoons/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/13/the-cartoonist-vs-big-coal-cartoons/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:13:09 +0000 Joe Mohr http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/13/the-cartoonist-vs-big-coal-cartoons/ Mean Joe Green #76: The Cartoonist vs. Big Coal

I have taken on Big Coal.

OK–obviously I cannot win. In a cage match between Big Coal and me, Big Coal would be like the real Mean Joe Greene of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defense, and I would be…well, me–the other Mean Joe Green (although, I did play college football, for what it’s worth).

However, I am not attempting to take down Big Coal–a D2 wide receiver has little hope against a Hall of Fame defensive lineman. I am simply attempting to shine a small light on the corruption that surrounds a multi-billion dollar industry struggling to hold on to its inevitably diminishing wealth. An industry focused on profit at the expense of the health of air and water, thereby, the health of those who breathe and drink it–an industry on its way out.

Please enjoy my archive of 11 Big Coal cartoons, below (click on the cartoon titles to see the accompanying text for each cartoon):

“Clean Coal?!” from 3/29/2008

“CO2 Molecules for McCain”, from 9/11/2008

“Coal’s New Look” from 11/18/2008

“Naughty Mayors May Get Coal This Year” from 12/03/2008

“Want Coal? Expect Occassional Sludge” from 12/31/2008

“The Lights are on but Nobody’s Home” from 3/4/2009

“Rep. Rahall (D) Shows His Love for (getting money from) Coal (companies)” from 7/21/2009

“Big Coal Claims Climate Bill Unfair” from 8/7/2009

“Hunger Strike Protest for Coal and Oil” from 9/2/2009

“Old King Coal’s New Nursery Rhyme” from 9/24/2009

“CO2 Isn’t Good for You…It’s GREAT!!!” from 10/1/2009

Mean Joe Green Cartoon Archive, #’s 1-76

follow Mean Joe Green on Twitter at @GreenCartoons

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/10/13/the-cartoonist-vs-big-coal-cartoons/feed/ WATER: #1 Global Security & Health Concern http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/07/1-global-security-health-concern-water/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/07/1-global-security-health-concern-water/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:56:31 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/07/1-global-security-health-concern-water/

Water scarcity resulting from climate change is the number one issue the world will have to grapple with in the future, according to chief climate scientist and Nobel Peace Prize-winner Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri.

On the one hand, we will have more water around us with sea level rising. On the other hand, though, drought caused by climate change will leave possibly billions of people without clean water.

This will cause great health and global security issues. Most of these problems will be caused by water imbalances.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/07/1-global-security-health-concern-water/feed/ Is the US Climate Illiterate? http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/02/is-the-us-climate-illiterate/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/02/is-the-us-climate-illiterate/#comments Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:29:55 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/02/is-the-us-climate-illiterate/

“The United States is in a sense climate illiterate still,” Hans Schellnhuber, the director of Germany’s Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research said earlier this week.

He wasn’t just comparing the US to the EU, however. Even developing nations seem to know more about the issue and the potential results of inaction.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/02/is-the-us-climate-illiterate/feed/ Senate Fights For EPA’s CO2 Regulation Power http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/09/26/senate-fights-for-epas-co2-regulation-power/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/09/26/senate-fights-for-epas-co2-regulation-power/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 20:36:37 +0000 Dave Levitan http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/09/26/senate-fights-for-epas-co2-regulation-power/ Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska tried to gut the EPA powers to regulate carbon emissions.In the midst of a week when climate change finally stole back some of the spotlight that had been hogged by health care reform for months, the Senate fought off a potentially devastating attempt to emasculate the EPA and its recently won power to regulate greenhouse gases.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/09/26/senate-fights-for-epas-co2-regulation-power/feed/ UK’s Tony Blair Finds Climate Action Will Increase Global GDP & Create Millions of Jobs http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/22/uks-tony-blair-finds-climate-action-will-increase-global-gdp-create-millions-of-jobs/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/22/uks-tony-blair-finds-climate-action-will-increase-global-gdp-create-millions-of-jobs/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:18:37 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/22/uks-tony-blair-finds-climate-action-will-increase-global-gdp-create-millions-of-jobs/

Climate Action Will Pay for Itself, and More.

The United Nations (UN) stated earlier this month that the cost of avoiding climate change was at least 1% of global GDP — $500-600 billion dollars. Despite this major cost, Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, and The Climate Group, presented a report to the UN yesterday saying that a strong climate deal will “boost growth in all major economies & create millions of new jobs.”

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/22/uks-tony-blair-finds-climate-action-will-increase-global-gdp-create-millions-of-jobs/feed/ Australia is #1 — New World Leader in Global Warming Emissions http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/15/australia-is-1-new-world-leader-in-global-warming-emissions/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/15/australia-is-1-new-world-leader-in-global-warming-emissions/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:33:54 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/15/australia-is-1-new-world-leader-in-global-warming-emissions/
Australia has passed the US as the new world leader in CO2 emissions per capita. That is not the only climate change problem in Australia, though.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/09/15/australia-is-1-new-world-leader-in-global-warming-emissions/feed/ Laughing Gas: The Latest Environmental Threat http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/08/31/laughing-gas/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/08/31/laughing-gas/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:30:50 +0000 Lisa Wojnovich http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/08/31/laughing-gas/ The EarthNitrous oxide, more commonly known at your dentist’s office as laughing gas, is now the most prevalent man-made substance damaging the ozone layer. And it’s a greenhouse gas. Sadly, the joke’s apparently on us.

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]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/08/31/laughing-gas/feed/ ISO Efficient Bioenergy: Ethanol Verses Bioelectricity http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/04/iso-bioenergy-ethanol-verses-bioelectricity/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/04/iso-bioenergy-ethanol-verses-bioelectricity/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:08:36 +0000 Michael Ricciardi http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/04/iso-bioenergy-ethanol-verses-bioelectricity/ field of corn

With the fluctuating price of oil, a finite resource, and concerns over CO2 emissions, many energy companies and developers have turned to utilizing biomass as alternative fuel (biofuel). This trend is actually taking two pathways: using biomass to convert to ethanol to power automobiles (which has been around for awhile now), and, converting biomass to electricity to power electric (or hybrid) vehicles (a more recent alternative). The question of which path is most efficient, sustainable, and less carbon-intensive is a vitally important one in terms of this nation’s “energy future”.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/08/04/iso-bioenergy-ethanol-verses-bioelectricity/feed/ Waste Water Mud the New ‘Green’ Fuel http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/31/waste-water-mud-the-new-green-fuel/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/31/waste-water-mud-the-new-green-fuel/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:41:20 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/31/waste-water-mud-the-new-green-fuel/

Wastewater treatment facilities end up dumping a lot of mud that is extracted from the in-flowing water. And, like everything else, that mud takes up space. Space that could be used for other things, even at the dumping yards. But researchers from the Rovira i Virgili University (URV) have suggested, and successfully shown, that the waste mud doesn’t need to be taken to a dumping ground; rather, it can be used as fuel.

This is great news for industries that are trying to comply with the Kyoto Protocol and cut CO2 emissions. It is also good news in a world that is trying to shake itself free of the addictions to traditional oils and coals.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/31/waste-water-mud-the-new-green-fuel/feed/ SCORE: A Cookstove That Generates Electricity http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:21:02 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/

Those of us who don’t live in developing countries might not always remember that the majority of the world still uses biomass-fired cookstoves that produce smoke and other toxins. It’s a serious problem–indoor air pollution kills 1.6 million people yearly. Enter the SCORE (Stove for Cooking, Refrigeration, and Electricity), a $33 cookstove developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham that doubles as an electrical generator.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/24/score-a-cookstove-that-generates-electricity/feed/ Proposed Pesticide 5000x More Potent Greenhouse Gas than CO2 http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/proposed-pesticide-5000x-more-potent-greenhouse-gas-than-co2/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/proposed-pesticide-5000x-more-potent-greenhouse-gas-than-co2/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:55:45 +0000 Derek Markham http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/proposed-pesticide-5000x-more-potent-greenhouse-gas-than-co2/ Sulfuryl flouride

Dow AgroScience’s proposed use of sulfuryl fluoride to sterilize soil in farm fields would release large amounts of a potent greenhouse gas, increasing the global warming effects of agricultural practices, says a group of scientists and activists.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/13/proposed-pesticide-5000x-more-potent-greenhouse-gas-than-co2/feed/ Carbon Capture and Storage Progressing Toward Feasibility http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/10/carbon-capture-and-storage/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/10/carbon-capture-and-storage/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:34:01 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/10/carbon-capture-and-storage/

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) has the potential to cut global Co2 emissions dramatically. We’re talking huge cuts. It has been estimated that a plant implementing CCS can cut emissions by 80-90 percent compared with a plant that doesn’t use CCS. Sounds great, right? Well, there are some some problems.

Cost is the number one challenge that CCS faces. “Applying it would significantly increase the cost of electricity beyond what society is likely willing to pay,” said Sarah Forbes,  a World Resources Institute Senior Associate. Another challenge is that no fully integrated demonstrations have taken place. The pieces have been tested individually, but the entire puzzle is yet to be seen.

Forbes describes CCS and its current challenges in more detail:

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/07/10/carbon-capture-and-storage/feed/ Daimler’s First Electric Car http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/30/daimlers-first-electric-car/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/30/daimlers-first-electric-car/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:09:55 +0000 Lisa Wojnovich http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/30/daimlers-first-electric-car/ The New Mercedes Benz S ClassMost odd stories relating to the environment tend to revolve around researchers and scientists and their slightly off the wall discoveries. But not so today. Today, in news of the weird — or at least slightly surreal — I bring you Daimler, the German automaker, who announced last week their very first hybrid car, the Mercedes Benz S Class. It’s a limousine.

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]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/30/daimlers-first-electric-car/feed/ 350.org Coordinating International Day of Climate Action http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/06/22/350org-coordinating-international-day-of-climate-action/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/06/22/350org-coordinating-international-day-of-climate-action/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:00:33 +0000 Becky Striepe http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/06/22/350org-coordinating-international-day-of-climate-action/

The international campaign 350.org is coordinating a day of action on October 24, 2009.

Leading scientists agree that 350 parts per million (ppm) is the absolute maximum safe amount of CO2 in our atmosphere. According to the NOAA, we’ve reached almost 390 already this year. 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to raising awareness about this pressing issue and working towards an international agreement to get us back on track.

Now, they’re organizing a day of of international climate action to spread the word and support “real climate solutions.” You can check out their video and learn about how to get involved right here:

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2009/06/22/350org-coordinating-international-day-of-climate-action/feed/ Growing Plastic: A New Use for Biomass http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/19/growing-plastic-2/ http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/19/growing-plastic-2/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:00:10 +0000 Lisa Wojnovich http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/19/growing-plastic-2/ A field of miscanthus, one of several crops grown to produce biomassIn the constant push for ever newer and greener technology and energy, we sometimes forget that it is often both simpler and cheaper to revisit old techniques in new ways. And that’s exactly what a group of researchers in California has done.

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]]> http://inspiredeconomist.com/2009/06/19/growing-plastic-2/feed/ MIT Researchers Discover Why Concrete Breaks Down http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/17/mit-researchers-discover-why-concrete-breaks-down/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/17/mit-researchers-discover-why-concrete-breaks-down/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 05:35:35 +0000 Ariel Schwartz http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/17/mit-researchers-discover-why-concrete-breaks-down/

The old saying “step on a crack, break your mother’s back” may not apply to sidewalks for much longer now that MIT researchers have figured out why concrete breaks down. As a result of the discovery, structures like buildings, bridges, and yes, sidewalks, could last for hundreds of years longer than they currently do. A nuclear waste container built to last 100 years could, for example, last 16,000 years.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/06/17/mit-researchers-discover-why-concrete-breaks-down/feed/ Shell Announces CE10 Cellulosic Ethanol Available NOW at Ottawa Station http://gas2.org/2009/06/10/shell-announces-ce10-cellulosic-ethanol-available-now-at-ottawa-station/ http://gas2.org/2009/06/10/shell-announces-ce10-cellulosic-ethanol-available-now-at-ottawa-station/#comments Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:52:11 +0000 Clayton B. Cornell http://gas2.org/2009/06/10/shell-announces-ce10-cellulosic-ethanol-available-now-at-ottawa-station/ Iogen cellulosic ethanol station

Today at Noon, a Shell service station in Ottawa, Ontario will quietly begin selling cellulosic ethanol blended into regular gasoline. The biofuel is made locally from wheat straw, and as far as we know is the first time cellulosic ethanol has been made publicly available.

The new fuel will only be available for one month, starting on June 10th, but it’s a major step forward for the production of advanced biofuels. All gasoline purchased at the Ottawa station will be a blend of 10% cellulosic ethanol and 90% gasoline (CE10).

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