Green Options » Hawaii http://greenoptions.com/tag/hawaii Posts tagged 'Hawaii' Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:43:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Hawaii Follows California with a Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/#comments Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:43:46 +0000 Zachary Shahan http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/
Earlier this month, Governor Schwarzenegger signed legislation to buy solar power from relatively small private generators for rates above market value. Hawaii is next in line with this European-style tariff — the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission and Governor Lingle just recently set a similar initiative for Hawaii.

Hawaii’s initiative will make it possible for homeowners and businesses to sell power they generate from small to medium-scale renewable energy projects (i.e. solar panels) to Hawaii’s main power producers at higher than market-value rates.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/10/30/hawaii-follows-california-with-a-renewable-energy-feed-in-tariff/feed/ Seahorse Hawaii Foundation and Ocean Rider Teach Conservation Globally http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/14/seahorse-hawaii-foundation-and-ocean-rider-teach-conservation-globally/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/14/seahorse-hawaii-foundation-and-ocean-rider-teach-conservation-globally/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:17:09 +0000 Lucille Chi http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/14/seahorse-hawaii-foundation-and-ocean-rider-teach-conservation-globally/

Rarest of all sea creatures seen in the wild today, once upon a time the seahorse was found in every ocean of the world from 20 feet to 100 feet (area now most frequented by man). Sea dragons and Seahorses are protected globally by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), and now by Seahorse Hawaii.

Incredibly enchanting creatures in the animal kingdom, seahorses have an unusual biology, with a prehensile tail, and eyes that rotate 360% independent of the other, and the seahorse is the only animal in the entire animal kingdom in which the male has a true pregnancy!

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/10/14/seahorse-hawaii-foundation-and-ocean-rider-teach-conservation-globally/feed/ Spice Up Your Surroundings with Pure Malie Candles http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/09/03/spice-up-your-surroundings-with-pure-malie-candles/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/09/03/spice-up-your-surroundings-with-pure-malie-candles/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:39:27 +0000 Liz Thompson http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/09/03/spice-up-your-surroundings-with-pure-malie-candles/ Sometimes it is not enough to get yourself looking gorgeous, your surroundings have to set the mood.  As a self-professed candle junkie I can tell you that not any old candle fits the bill.  Sure, they have to be clean burning and non-toxic, but let’s be real – the scent is what it’s all about.  It is such a let down to get a candle that smells great in the jar, then produces nothing but the smell of…well, burning candle… once lit. 

The perfect little candle recently made its way across my desk (and on to my vanity) and is the lovely and luxurious scent of fresh island plumeria.    And who is the creator of such a deliciously scented room enhancer?  None other than (straight from the tropics) Malie Organics.  Made from clean-burning soy and kukui oils, it is petroleum-free and burns by way of cotton wick for a nice long 60 hours.  Comes in a simple glass container with nothing but the tasteful, gold Malie symbol on the front.  Chic and elegant.

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2009/09/03/spice-up-your-surroundings-with-pure-malie-candles/feed/ Show Me the Money: More Recovery Act Funding Put Toward State Energy Programs http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/10/show-me-the-money-more-recovery-act-funding-put-toward-state-energy-programs/ http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/10/show-me-the-money-more-recovery-act-funding-put-toward-state-energy-programs/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:50:43 +0000 Ruedigar Matthes http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/10/show-me-the-money-more-recovery-act-funding-put-toward-state-energy-programs/

More money was distributed today by the Department of Energy. 141 million dollars to be more precise. This time Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Texas will play beneficiaries of the Recovery Act.

As a part of the Department’s State Energy Program, which has been apportioned $3.1 billion, states and territories propose plans to prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And that’s where this $141 million will be going. Each state receives funding according to its needs (population based), with Texas receiving more than half of the allotted $141 million dollars. They will receive $87.5 million.

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]]> http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/10/show-me-the-money-more-recovery-act-funding-put-toward-state-energy-programs/feed/ Beyond Subsidized Solar Power: The Path to Grid Parity http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/ http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 16:15:31 +0000 Angiolo Laviziano http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/ Solar Panels

Editor’s Note: The is a guest contribution by Angiolo Laviziano, President and CEO of REC Solar Inc. This is the third post in a series from the CEO’s of major solar companies. The first post was by the SolarCity CEO, Lyndon Rive, and the second was by groSolar CEO Jeff Wolfe. You can follow the complete series here.

Two phrases that are often repeated in the solar industry are “Grid Parity” and “Cost Roadmap”. Grid parity is generally considered to be a key goal of the solar industry. Grid parity will be achieved in the U.S. when customers are motivated to buy solar because the investment has a sufficient return WITHOUT any subsidies from the federal or state government.  At present, most people consider PV to be a financially acceptable investment only if federal, state and rebate incentives are applied.

Currently, the rebates and tax credits offered by the government improve the financial return of a solar project together with other factors, such as the solar electric system cost (lower is better for the return), sun exposure on site (higher is better) and the cost of electricity that the solar system is substituting (higher is better).

The cost of electricity is of particular importance: solar substitutes for electricity demand on the customer’s side of the meter, where it competes with the retail price of electricity. This is in contrast to wind power, which is generated on the utility side of the meter, and therefore competes with the much lower wholesale rate of electricity.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/12/beyond-subsidized-solar-power-the-path-to-grid-parity/feed/ Former President Bush to Receive Environmental “Nobel Prize” http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/04/01/former-president-bush-to-receive-environmental-nobel-prize/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/04/01/former-president-bush-to-receive-environmental-nobel-prize/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:27:13 +0000 Amiel Blajchman http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/04/01/former-president-bush-to-receive-environmental-nobel-prize/ In a special announcement, former President George W. Bush will be honoured as the 2009 recipient of the Goldman Prize for Excellence in Protecting the Environment. Bush was nominated for his 2006 decision to declare a remote chain of islands in Hawaii as a national monument. In making his announcement, Bush said “It’s larger than 46 of our 50 states, and more than seven times larger than all our national marine sanctuaries combined. This is a big deal”.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/04/01/former-president-bush-to-receive-environmental-nobel-prize/feed/ Oldest Living Creature Discovered at 4,265 Years Old http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/26/oldest-living-creature-discovered-at-4265-years-old/ http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/26/oldest-living-creature-discovered-at-4265-years-old/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:58:32 +0000 Bryan Nelson http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/26/oldest-living-creature-discovered-at-4265-years-old/ Tree CoralScientists gathering specimens in a submersible off the coast of Hawaii have discovered the oldest living colonial creature on Earth, dated at 4,265 years old.

The geriatric discovery (Leiopathes sp.) is a deep water tree-like coral, which grows only a few micrometers every year. That’s an annual growth rate at around the size of a human blood cell. And the Leiopathes sp. wasn’t the only old creature found. Also discovered was a 2,742 year old gold coral (Gerardia sp.).

The discovery raises needed awareness about the delicate, fragile ecosystems of deep sea reefs, which are endangered due to trawling and global warming.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/26/oldest-living-creature-discovered-at-4265-years-old/feed/ Bright Horizons for Solar Industry http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/24/bright-horizons-for-solar-industry/ http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/24/bright-horizons-for-solar-industry/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:50:24 +0000 Sean Sullivan http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/24/bright-horizons-for-solar-industry/ Ground Mounted Solar ModulesLast year was a bright spot for the solar industry, despite dark economic clouds and forecasts that rolled in during 2008’s final few months.

SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association) just released its yearly review, which identified 2008 as the third in a string of record growth years.

The numbers were for the US solar market, with a highlight of 1,265 megawatts (MW) of new installed solar power. The figure includes all forms of the energy resource, from photovoltaic (PV) to home and water heating. PV modules accounted for 342 MW of that total. A conversion formula is used to express solar heating capacity in an electrical equivalent.

Returns on investment for solar electric installations typically take longer than heating applications. Yet while thermal power has comprised the lion’s share of the solar market since 2000, the percentage of PV growth for the same period has been greater and more stable.

States also made strides last year in terms of solar legislation. Already a leader in the solar hot water arena, Hawaii further bolstered that title last year when it began requiring that all new construction include the technology.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2009/03/24/bright-horizons-for-solar-industry/feed/ Hawaii’s Superferry Deemed Unconstitutional, Put Out of Business http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/19/hawaiis-superferry-deemed-unconstitutional-put-out-of-business/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/19/hawaiis-superferry-deemed-unconstitutional-put-out-of-business/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:33:20 +0000 Amanda Peterka http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/19/hawaiis-superferry-deemed-unconstitutional-put-out-of-business/ The behemoth of transportation in Hawaii, the Superferry, is shutting its doors as of this week after the Supreme Court ruled that an act giving it permission to run without the proper environmental regulations was unconstitutional.

The ferry, a monster that could hold 866 people and 282 cars and that uses more fuel than a large plane, was kept running for a year even though it never had the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that’s required by the state of Hawaii.

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2009/03/19/hawaiis-superferry-deemed-unconstitutional-put-out-of-business/feed/ Weekly Roundup of Green U.S. News http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/05/weekly-roundup-of-green-us-news/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/05/weekly-roundup-of-green-us-news/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:59:06 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/05/weekly-roundup-of-green-us-news/ Stefano Corso at Wikimedia Commons, free license to publish with copyright notice and attribution)OK, so I haven’t posted a weekly green news roundup in a while, but I’m getting back to making it a regular feature as of today. So what are the green scoops across the U.S. this week? There’s plenty:

  • Over in Dallas, for instance, officials and urban designers are gathering today for an all-day “charrette” (or brainstorming session) to figure out what it would take to create a fully sustainable city block. They hope to follow up their meeting with an international competition to design just such a thing. (You can read more here (PDF)).

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/12/05/weekly-roundup-of-green-us-news/feed/ Hawaii Goes Electric: New Program Stretches Across State http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/05/hawaii-goes-electric-new-program-stretches-across-state/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/05/hawaii-goes-electric-new-program-stretches-across-state/#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 14:37:31 +0000 Amanda Peterka http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/05/hawaii-goes-electric-new-program-stretches-across-state/ Move over California. Hawaii is taking the lead on this one. The island state announced Tuesday that it will be the first state to have a comprehensive electric-car station program.

While California plans to use the same company, Better Place, to build a limited number of stations, Better Place will have some 50,000 to 100,000 spots to charge electric cars in Hawaii by 2011. The company will also buy renewable energy from Hawaii’s largest electricity company.


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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/12/05/hawaii-goes-electric-new-program-stretches-across-state/feed/ Hawaii Endorses Better Place for Electric Cars http://gas2.org/2008/12/03/hawaii-endorses-better-place-plan-for-electric-cars/ http://gas2.org/2008/12/03/hawaii-endorses-better-place-plan-for-electric-cars/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:12:04 +0000 Lucille Chi http://gas2.org/2008/12/03/hawaii-endorses-better-place-plan-for-electric-cars/

Better Place and Hawaii have joined forces. This week the State of Hawaii and the Hawaiian Electric Company endorsed a plan to build a new renewable transportation system based on electric vehicles with swappable batteries and a “smart” battery recharging network.

The Better Place plan solves the current problem with electric cars, which is slow battery recharging as well as availability. The solution is to use existing electric car technologies together with an internet-connected web of recharging stations (set up in the thousands).

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/12/03/hawaii-endorses-better-place-plan-for-electric-cars/feed/ Hawaii Commits to 70% Renewable Energy by 2030 http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/31/hawaii-commits-to-70-renewable-energy-by-2030/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/31/hawaii-commits-to-70-renewable-energy-by-2030/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:55:51 +0000 Tom Schueneman http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/31/hawaii-commits-to-70-renewable-energy-by-2030/ Hawaii plans on 70% renewable power generation by 2030 Hawaiian Electric Company, the state’s largest utility, has entered into an agreement with the state of Hawaii that could break the Islands’ reliance on fossil fuel by generating 70% of it energy from renewable sources for both ground transportation and electricity by 2030.

The plan includes agreeing to build no more coal-fired power plants, integrating 1,100 megawatts of renewable enegy into the grid, and converting existing generators to burn biofuels.

The agreement signed this month between the state and Hawaiian Electric is based on the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, a partnership launched last January between the federal government and the state of Hawaii. Administered by the U.S. Department of Energy, the stated goal of the project is for Hawaii to serve as the model of energy independence for other states to follow.

U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) says that energy independence for the state is essential due to the isolation of the central Pacific archipelago, making it particularly vulnerable to rising oil prices and uncertain supplies (Hawaii has no fossil fuel sources of its own).

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/31/hawaii-commits-to-70-renewable-energy-by-2030/feed/ New Lonely Planet Hawaii Series with a Special Focus on Green Travel http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/10/19/new-lonely-planet-hawaii-series-with-a-special-focus-on-green-travel/ http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/10/19/new-lonely-planet-hawaii-series-with-a-special-focus-on-green-travel/#comments Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:59:51 +0000 Lucille Chi http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/10/19/new-lonely-planet-hawaii-series-with-a-special-focus-on-green-travel/ Living in Hawaii has been a dream of mine for a while, and it’s something I’ve been lucky enough to do for part of the year the past several years (go telecommuting!). The fresh island air, peaceful tide pools and rainforest hikes are just a few of the perks we’ve enjoyed. There is so much to do on the island, and we’ve slowly been finding the hidden gems among this lush, tropical paradise. Well now our search just got a lot simpler with Lonely Planet’s new Hawaii series — it has a special focus on outdoor adventures and local goodies.

One thing I was really impressed with was the awesome reviews of the local craftspeople that have made a beautiful, creative, natural livelihood out of their work. As an artist I admire the special artist features, as well as the galleries and community guides. But they’ve gone a step further by marking sustainable businesses as well highlighting ways you can contribute on your trip…

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]]> http://feelgoodstyle.com/2008/10/19/new-lonely-planet-hawaii-series-with-a-special-focus-on-green-travel/feed/ Asian Butterfly Discovered to Have Reached Hawaii–How Remains Mystery http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/14/asian-butterfly-discovered-to-have-reached-hawaii-how-remains-mystery/ http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/14/asian-butterfly-discovered-to-have-reached-hawaii-how-remains-mystery/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:02:57 +0000 Levi Novey http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/14/asian-butterfly-discovered-to-have-reached-hawaii-how-remains-mystery/ The Lesser Grass Blue (zizina otis)A butterfly species that lives in Southeast Asia and some parts of Africa has been discovered on the island of Oahu in Hawaii.

If the butterfly arrived by migrating or via human transportation remains unknown.

The discovery was made by a man named Jim Snyder, who has been photographing and observing butterfly species since his childhood.  When walking one day in March near the Waikiki library he noticed a unique set of butterflies that had different eye and wing colors compared to other species living in Hawaii. He also observed that they flew low to the ground– another unusual trait for the locality. There were only sixteen other species known to live on Hawaii’s islands prior to Snyder’s find.

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]]> http://ecoworldly.com/2008/10/14/asian-butterfly-discovered-to-have-reached-hawaii-how-remains-mystery/feed/ Rapid Charging Electric Cars: From Oahu To You http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/08/rapid-charging-electric-cars-from-oahu-to-you/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/08/rapid-charging-electric-cars-from-oahu-to-you/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:33:58 +0000 Karen Pease http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/08/rapid-charging-electric-cars-from-oahu-to-you/ Map of existing 60kW charging stations on Oahu Editor’s Note: This topic was also covered on Gas 2.0: Hawaii to Get Electric Car Battery-Sharing Program

Perhaps nothing has been perceived as a greater weakness for electric vehicles than charge times — spending 6 hours recharging every hundred or two miles is enough to readily ruin the idea of taking a cross-country trip.

To work around this, some groups such as Project Better Place propose to standardize battery packs and pack-replacing infrastructure. On one hand, it seems an easy solution to the problem; yet battery technology is an ever-moving target, as anyone who has witnessed the dramatic shrinking of cell phone and laptop batteries in the past decade can attest. But, as the stereotypes go, batteries can’t really take a charge as fast as you’d need, and you couldn’t deliver it that fast if you wanted to.

Or could you?

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/10/08/rapid-charging-electric-cars-from-oahu-to-you/feed/ Hawaii to Get Electric Car Battery-Sharing Program http://gas2.org/2008/10/07/hawaii-to-get-electric-car-battery-sharing-program/ http://gas2.org/2008/10/07/hawaii-to-get-electric-car-battery-sharing-program/#comments Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:14:45 +0000 Alex Felsinger http://gas2.org/2008/10/07/hawaii-to-get-electric-car-battery-sharing-program/

The island state’s small size makes for short drives, which are perfect for electric vehicles, and now an innovative network of recharging stations will make the cars even more convenient.

California-based company Better Place will operate the stations on a subscription-based system. Owners could sign-up for a monthly plan or choose to pay as they use. The company will own the batteries, which can run upwards to $11,000, and loan them out to drivers.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/10/07/hawaii-to-get-electric-car-battery-sharing-program/feed/ Bush Protects 48 Endangered Species in Hawaii While Ignoring 6 Western Species http://ecoscraps.com/2008/10/03/bush-protects-48-endangered-species-in-hawaii-while-ignoring-6-western-species/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/10/03/bush-protects-48-endangered-species-in-hawaii-while-ignoring-6-western-species/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:30:17 +0000 Jennifer Lance http://ecoscraps.com/2008/10/03/bush-protects-48-endangered-species-in-hawaii-while-ignoring-6-western-species/ endangered western snowy ploverIn an unusual move for an administration that cares little for endangered species, the U.S. Department of the Interior proposed adding 48 species found only in Hawaii to the federal endangered species list this week.  The administration claimed to be using a “newly developed, ecosystem-based approach to species conservation,” even though the Clinton administration used such an approach.  In related news, the Center for Biological Diversity filed five lawsuits regarding Bush Administration political interference in designations for six western species, including the California tiger salamander, southwestern willow flycatcher, and western snowy plover.  Noah Greenwald, science director for the Center for Biological Diversity stated:

The Bush administration has the worst record protecting endangered species of any administration since passage of the landmark Endangered Species Act. In the case of these six species, the administration’s malfeasance resulted in the removal of protection for over 300,000 acres of habitat in seven western states.

Maybe these species should move to Hawaii.

Via: World-Wire

Image: US Fish & Wildlife Service

Since retail electricity prices are expected to increase, these “grid-parity” prices will be higher in 2013. In order to achieve a 7 year payback time in 2013 [assuming an electricity rate escalator of 6% per year] the solar system price in 2013 needs to be around $4/Watt DC in California, $2.25/Watt DC in Colorado and $7.85/Watt DC (!) in Hawaii. For a 4.5 kW residential system where an 8-year payback is considered satisfactory, the non-incentive grid parity price in 2013 will be $5.30/Watt DC in California and $1.95/Watt DC in Colorado.

The point when grid parity can be reached depends largely on the electricity rates increase and the speed of cost reduction from both the manufacturers in the upstream solar market and the system integrators in the downstream segment.

In the past four years we have seen a significant module price increase due to the shortages of silicon supply. This trend will shift in the next few years where the increase of module supply will drive down the cost of solar electric systems.

The above data points show that grid parity will be first achieved in Southern California and Hawaii.

Even with the high electricity rates in both regions, the end-customer price in California still need to decline by 44% between today and 2013.

Most industry players believe that the cost reduction potential in the upstream solar market is larger given the fact that the solar industry saw module prices of $2.80/Watt DC in 2003 - which is significantly below today’s average price of XX.

If the silicon, wafer, cell and module manufacturers contribute to 60% of the cost reduction and the system integrators and BOS-manufacturers contribute to 40% of the cost reduction, the module price in 2013 for California would have to be $1.95/Watt DC and the system integration price (including all BOS components) $2.06/Watt in order to achieve the 7 year payback return without government incentives. The end customer price needs to be $4.01/Watt DC.

The above paragraph explains the price point for modules and installation price. On the cost side, the manufacturers need to reduce their cost to $1.51/watt DC and the system integration and BOS cost need to be at $1.42/Watt DC. These costs assume an average sales tax of 3% (an average aiming to account for the different sales tax rules for PV) and a gross profit margin expectation of 25% in the upstream segment and 18% in the downstream PV industry.

Reaching these objectives will require an aggressive cost roadmap, especially when taking into account that the above numbers are only representative of the best solar locations in the US.

Theoretically if we aggregate the most competitive manufacturers in the upstream value chain we can get the cost down to approximately $1.25/Watt. In addition, the best-of-class system integrators in the German market are able to install large PV system at a turnkey system price of below $5.00/Watt DC with standard modules.

Thus, grid parity and the ultimate goal of bringing solar to the mainstream are within our reach!

Image Credit: richardmasoner via Flickr under Creative Commons License

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2008/10/03/bush-protects-48-endangered-species-in-hawaii-while-ignoring-6-western-species/feed/ Connecticut Town Bans Plastic Shopping Bags http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/30/connecticut-town-bans-plastic-shopping-bags/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/30/connecticut-town-bans-plastic-shopping-bags/#comments Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:10:16 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/30/connecticut-town-bans-plastic-shopping-bags/ Trosmisiek at Wikimedia Commons, public domain.)Westport, Connecticut, recently joined a small but growing number of communities to ban the use of free plastic shopping bags within its borders. The new ordinance, which goes into effect early next year, would impose a $150 fine on any store that offers such bags.

WestportNow.com reports that citizens attending the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) vote on the ban overwhelmingly supported the measure. The RTM eventually voted 26 to 5 (with one abstention) in favor of the ordinance, and also rejected a proposal that would have made the ban effective only through Sept. 19 of next year.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/30/connecticut-town-bans-plastic-shopping-bags/feed/ Sailing to Save the Seas from Plastic http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/03/sailing-to-save-the-seas-from-plastic/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/03/sailing-to-save-the-seas-from-plastic/#comments Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:08:03 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/03/sailing-to-save-the-seas-from-plastic/ Copyright Roz Savage, grants license to publish with credit.)Roz Savage is the first to admit she’s not trying to “save the planet.” Despite all the abuses we heap upon it, Earth will be “just fine in several million years,” she says.

We humans, on the other hand, are making it increasingly likely that we’ll “drown in our own filth,” Savage warns. And to draw attention to just how bad we’ve let things get for this Big Blue Marble we call home, she recently rowed — that’s right, rowed — solo from San Francisco to Honolulu.

The 99-day, 2,324-mile trip started near midnight on May 25 and concluded with a pre-dawn arrival on Sept. 1 at the Waikiki Yacht Club.

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