By Dave Tyler •
April 14, 2009
Yes, even the wind power is bigger in Texas. The Lone Star State held the top spot again in the just released American Wind Energy Association’s annual industry report.
In fact, if Texas was its own country it would rank sixth worldwide in production, with 7,118 megawatts installed. Texas added 2,671 MW just last year.
The AWEA report breaks down a record 2008 for wind power in the U.S. The U.S. now ranks ahead of Germany as the world’s top wind power producer. More than 8,500 MW of wind power came online last year, the report says, a more than 50 percent jump in U.S. production.
By Amanda Peterka •
February 3, 2009
The major problem with corn ethanol doesn’t come in its emissions while a car is in motion; it comes from the energy-intensive process used to make it in the first place, and the fertilizer needed to grow corn.
Minneapolis-based MusicMatters is proof positive that “marketing” doesn’t have to be a dirty word, no matter how strongly you believe we should all be consuming less, not more.
The music-industry-focused marketing agency says its mission is “Effect Marketing™ (it’s what comes after Cause Marketing).” That means going beyond selling an idea that’s good for the environment or society, and getting people to actually do things that are good for the environment or society.
By Jerry James Stone •
September 23, 2008
In a 390-25 vote, the House approved a measure on Tuesday that will increase protection of the Great Lakes region.
The weird things you discover while following random links online: apparently there’s a small but growing trend of people walking on treadmills — dubbed Walkstations — while they work.
The New York Times wrote last week about how companies like Humana, Mutual of Omaha, GlaxoSmithKline and Best Buy have been buying these Walkstations — a total of 335 since last November — to help their employees stay fit while they work. Credit for the concept goes to James Levine, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic who’s big on the benefits of exercise.
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama said today he would create a $5 billion trust fund to restore and protect the Great Lakes, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The fund would pay for efforts to prevent and control invasive species entering the lakes, clean up polluted sediments and help pay for sewer system repairs throughout the area. The program would also create a Great Lakes coordinator position in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Funding for Obama’s Great Lakes plan would come from reversing some existing tax cuts and incentives for oil companies.
By Andrew Williams •
August 27, 2008
Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman has joined the “Gang of 16,” a bipartisan group of senators that supports using offshore oil revenues to pay for increased investment in renewable energy.
Joke all you want about politicians’ hot air contributing to global warming, but at least the folks attending the Democratic and Republican National Conventions this summer will have a chance to limit their greenhouse gas emissions off the convention floors.
That’s because both Denver and Minneapolis/St. Paul plan to use their respective conventions to kick off a new bike-sharing program called “Freewheelin.” Created by the health benefits company Humana Inc. and the not-for-profit Bikes Belong, Freewheelin will bring 1,000 bikes to each city during the convention. Convention-goers will be able to use the bicycles free of charge to get around town without the need for cars.
By Ariel Schwartz •
July 22, 2008
Calling all sustainability hounds: EcoTuesday, the sustainable business leaders networking forum, is launching its highly anticipated Ambassador Program. Through the program, people can produce EcoTuesday events in their city and generate income from event sponsorships. Ambassadors are responsible for organizing events, securing venues and speakers each month, and developing relationships with companies that want to sponsor EcoTuesday events.
EcoTuesday is currently held on the 4th Tuesday of every month in San [...]
What started out as a innovative, new program to keep old medications out of the waste stream in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, has grown to become an award-winning initiative now used by more than 30 counties in three states.
Special waste manager Jeff Gloyd created the program in which LaCrosse County began collecting old over-the-counter drugs and prescription medications to keep them out of the regular waste stream. Pharmaceuticals thrown out that way have increasingly seeped into natural waterways and, eventually, human drinking water supplies, raising concerns about environmental and health dangers.
The city council in Minneapolis MN has adopted an ordinance to prohibit automobiles from idling for more than three minutes. The measure is aimed at reducing atmospheric pollution, but should also be welcomed by anyone who wants to save money, given the currently escalating cost of fuel.
