Green Options

For the first time ever, a U.S. regulatory agency denied a coal plant permit solely on the basis of its carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a main contributor to global warming.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) denied permits to two large, 700-megawatt plants proposed by Sunflower Electric Power. The plants would have cost about $3.6 billion and spewed 11 million tons of CO2 into the air each year. That’s almost

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Cooler than average temperatures have hit northern California, and the reality of heating our homes for winter has set in. In my experience, most people like to keep their homes comfortably warm, so that they are only wearing a light weight clothes while inside; however, there are many benefits to lowering your thermostat and wearing a sweater. Remember, it is almost winter out there!

Our attire should reflect the outside temperature in our

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Whatever your destination, carpooling is a more efficient way to drive. It not only cuts emissions by taking cars off the road, but could also save you time and money.

Carpool to work. Even if it is just a couple of times a week, sharing a ride with a spouse, neighbor or coworker can cut down on gas costs, and may even make your ride faster if your route involves an interstate or

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While General Electric announced structural changes to compensate for increased business in its energy-efficient lighting sector, BP is planning to restructure itself to emphasize…more petroleum.

Once self-dubbed "Beyond Petroleum" because of its increased focus on clean energy — and even considered to be one of the friendlier oil companies by clean energy supporters — BP is now folding its gas power and renewables division into its two exploration and refining segments.

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It’s that time of year again: eight-pound bags of "fun-size" candy fill whole aisles at the grocery store and houses in the neighborhood are sprouting plastic pumpkins, foam headstones and other ghoulish decor. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend more than $5 billion on Halloween costumes, candy and decorations this year. But there are ways to celebrate without doling out much cash for stuff that,

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I have been living off the grid for 15 years now, and there are certain parts of my daily energy use practices I take for granted as normal. Yet, when I visit friends or relatives living on the grid, I become aware of how differently I use electricity. While watching last week’s PBS NOW program about families living off the grid in Iowa, I began to wonder if the principles of

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Avoid the preservatives and unpronounceable ingredients of store-bought sweets this Halloween by making your own.

When you make your own confections, you have control over what goes into it. You can choose organic or Fair Trade ingredients and how much or what kind of sugars you use. Alternatives to refined white sugar include honey, real maple syrup, raw sugar, and even apple sauce.

Substituting some ingredients may require a little experimenting and

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Coal and nuclear plants may not be dropping like flies, but the business climate and the planet’s climate have caused some utilities to think twice about investing in them.

Tampa Electric of Florida has announced that it won’t build a coal plant to meet future energy needs, as originally planned. The coal plant was going to be an integrated gasification combined-cycle plant, or IGCC, which means that the coal is broken down into

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The changing colors of the autumn leaves are beautiful - until they’re no longer on the trees and covering your yard. Here are a couple of ways to be green with the fall colors.

Skip the leaf blower and use a rake. While it’s a little more labor intensive, raking leaves is better for the environment than the leaf blower. Leaf blowers create a lot of noise pollution, and if they’re [...]

Canadian and U.S. officials are respectively discussing impending regulation to cut down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Businesses in both nations are slowly getting the message and working together to prepare for – and perhaps help mold – the change.

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives reached an “unprecedented consensus” last week when they officially called for action that included “absolute” emissions cuts. A national strategy is needed, they argue, rather than the patchwork [...]

If there’s a LEED rated building in your area, whoever built it probably wants you to know about it. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building standard developed by the United States Green Building Council
(USGBC.)

LEED is essentially a checklist for architects and builders to determine how green a building is. Factors that make a building green

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