By Yael Borofsky •
October 9, 2009
Solar Decathlon 2009: The Construction Site
The solar capacity of the National Mall in Washington D.C. has increased exponentially in just a week as teams of college students from 20 international schools hurriedly reassembled their submissions for the fourth ever Solar Decathlon, a competition in which students must create “the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house.” The three-week event kicked of yesterday with an opening ceremony that featured a speech from Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who
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Do you remember RecycleBank, the Philadelphia-based company that rewarded customers for recycling? I thought that was a great idea, and I’ve got a similar response to Earth Aid’s new rewards program for energy savings. Rolled out earlier this month in Washington, DC, Earth Aid offers a program to track your energy use and savings, and then to “pay” you for those savings through reward points that can be redeemed at partner companies.
In its press release for the launch of the rewards program, the company claims that its program “…creates a virtuous circle of local businesses providing incentives for households to save energy, and households re-circulating their savings on their utility bills into local businesses - benefiting both the local environment and the local economy.” All of this is on top of money actually saved by consumers cutting their energy use…
By Christopher DeMorro •
September 1, 2009
In an effort to drum up attention and support for their algae-based biofuel, Sapphire Energy has announced they will conduct a coast-to-coast journey in their “Algaeus” plug-in hybrid. Part electric hybrid, part biofuel vehicle, Sapphire claimes the Algaeus will get 150 miles per gallon from its hybrid/biofuel drivetrain.
The Algaeus will visit 10 cities, starting in San Francisco on September 8th and ending in New York City on the 18th.
By Zachary Shahan •
July 24, 2009
Join other bicyclists or support a bicyclist to help combat global warming this Fall. For the second year in a row, bicyclists (and non-bicyclists) will join together for a climate conference “on wheels” — the Brita Climate Ride.
For years and years parents have taken their children to zoos to see exotic animals, animals that they don’t get to see everyday. They want to see lions and tigers and bears. Oh my! High on the the list of animals to be seen are elephants, nature’s gentle giants. These cute, (hardly) cuddly animals are the largest of the land mammals. But all of that could change. Elephants could be removed from zoos forever if In Defense of Animals (IDA) [...]
By Alex Felsinger •
March 10, 2009
Over 4,000 gallons of toxic coal ash spilled into the Potomac River in Maryland and much of it is expected to reach the nation’s capital. The spill sends a message that no amount of protest ever could: coal power is dirty and needs to end.
The Maryland Department of the Environment issued a press release reporting that a pipeline between a coal power plant and its ash slurry storage facility had ruptured, spilling the toxic sludge into the North Branch Potomac River.
By Alex Felsinger •
March 7, 2009
In another case of Critical Mass road rage, the driver of a white SUV received nothing but a citation after ramming a cyclist during Washington, D.C.’s ride last night, according to witness accounts.
After the hit-and-run, bicyclists took off after the SUV, which tried to escape on the wrong side of the road. Police arrived shortly, and instead of arresting the driver, detained a cyclist who aggressively pursued the vehicle.
By Reenita Malhotra •
February 27, 2009
Starting on Friday, February 27th, 10,000 students and other young people from across the country will converge upon Washington D.C. to demand immediate action on green jobs and climate change.
The Power Shift ’09 (www.powershift09.org) summit kicks off on Friday, February 27 and culminates on Monday, March 2, when the youth and their families will don green hard hats and gather on the steps of the Capitol.
By Derek Markham •
February 20, 2009
A class action lawsuit seeking $200 million was filed against the Washington D.C. Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) by the single father of twin boys who were poisoned as infants by lead contaminated tap water. John Parkhurst filed the suit on behalf of himself and other parents in D.C. whose children were poisoned due to extremely high levels of lead in the municipal water supply from 2001 to 2004.
“In June 2001, WASA discovered that that toxic levels of lead were leaching into the District’s drinking water. Not only did the Authority fail to eliminate this danger, it actually took affirmative steps to hide the lead contamination from its customers and federal authorities. At the same time, WASA encouraged the public to consume this dangerous product. As a result, tens of thousands of children and pregnant mothers faced elevated risks for years longer than they should have. WASA’s actions endangered thousands of children living in the District between 2001 and 2004, many of whom, like Jonathan and Joshua Parkhurst, are now profoundly affected by their ingestion of this highly poisonous element.” - Stefanie Roemer, Sanford Wittels & Heisler.
By Tom Schueneman •
January 17, 2009
Of course I knew when I left San Francisco early yesterday morning that I was one of many - thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions - coming to Washington to bear witness to history. But once the journey is begun, I am myself swept up in its tide.
By Timothy B. Hurst •
January 16, 2009
Two small wind turbines, the type that would power individual homes, farms, or businesses are currently on display at the National Mall and contributing to the Washington, D.C. power grid.
