Green Options » Discovery Channel

Environmental Defense Fund: Discovery Channel Special Airs Tomorrow - The Promise of a Low-Carbon Revolution Comes to Life

edfblog — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:47:35 +0000

Alaskan frontiersman Bernie Karl keeps his ice hotel frozen all summer long with the energy of hot springs. For a hundred years, Chena Hot Springs has attracted tourists who come to soak in its healing waters. But Karl — bearded and bursting with can-do spirit — saw the springs as a natural source of untapped energy. “I always knew that the value was in the hot water; I knew I would make electricity,” says Karl, in an original one-hour Discovery Channel TV special premiering Wednesday, March 11 at 10 pm (ET - check your local listings). Though not your typical energy guru, today Karl is considered a pioneer of geothermal energy.

Karl is just one of the many entrepreneurs and inventors profiled in the Discovery special who are creating new ways to power our planet — tapping sunlight, wind and water, and heat embedded in the Earth. Based on the companion book, The New York Times bestseller Earth: The Sequel, the show details the tremendous strides being made across the nation to solve the energy crisis and curb carbon emissions through new technologies. From start-ups harnessing hydro-power from New York’s East River to solar power in New Mexico’s high desert, the show chronicles dazzling ingenuity and possibility.

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Should Public Education Include Environmentalism?

Heidi Suydam — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:37:09 +0000

“It’s really important to help the earth and save the polar bears.” Stated a 9-year-old in Flossmoor, Illinois. At the time of her statement she was also coloring a “Go Green” sign at her desk, reports Ruth Ravve in her recent article entitled Environmental Lesson Plans Drawing Praise, Concern.

Western Avenue Elementary School participated in “National Green Week” February 2nd through 8th of this year. This annual event is organized by the Green Education Foundation. Schools sign up at the Green Education Foundation website in order to participate. Participation is also available for any organized group, individuals or families. President of the Green Education Foundation, Victoria Waters, explains

“It’s important to start creating habits now, while children are young, because it can add up over a lifetime to make huge monumental consequences to the environment.”

While participating in National Green Week students of all ages are taught to use reusable containers for their lunches and drinks, to reduce waste at home and at school and to conserve water. In addition, students also learn that animals may be in danger because the earth is in trouble.

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Closing Down Shop - Snooze Fest Hugg.com will Disappear at the end of the Year

Robin Shreeves — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:23:50 +0000

“It’s Digg for Green.” When you first access hugg.com’s homepage, that’s the message that pops up by its logo. Unfortunately, the user generated database of green articles never caught on like Digg, and as of next Monday, November 17th, it will not be accepting new submissions. At the end of this year, Hugg.com will be closed for good.

At the top of Hugg.com’s homepage is a message that says “Please Read”:

On November 17th, 2008, Hugg will no longer accept new submissions or registrations. Hugg will remain publicly viewable until the end of the year, at which time Hugg.com will be closed. The Hugg.com domain will be directed towards a new feature on the TreeHugger forums where participants will be able to post and comment on interesting green links (coming soon). We welcome you to the thriving community at the TreeHugger forums and hope you’ll join us now to carry on the discussion. Go ahead and poke around on the forums - we think you’ll like it and enjoy conversing with such a diverse group of intelligent, passionate people!

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to the many Hugg users who have poured time and energy into providing the community with tons of great content. Unfortunately, due to increasing maintenance costs, we can no longer provide Hugg with the resources it needs to continue.

So what happened?

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Planet Green Set to Become World’s First 24/7 Eco-TV Network

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Fri, 30 May 2008 22:35:12 +0000

Greens come in way more than one shade, so the folks at the Discovery Channel and TreeHugger are hoping to reach as many of them as they can through a new partner-based, 24/7 network dubbed Planet Green.

Calling itself the “first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network,” Planet Green launches Wednesday, June 4. The synergy of the TV/Internet partnership promises to deliver a greater range and depth of green information than either medium could provide on its own, according to Eileen O’Neill, president and general manager of the Planet Green network.

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