Leading Consumer Brands Get Behind WindMade Certification Scheme

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Website:

http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/leading-consumer-brands-get-behind-windmade-certification-scheme.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Summary: Back in January, the WindMade certificate scheme was put into place and it allowed companies to buy renewable energy. The scheme seems to be going good and many companies are purchasing the energy. The companies buy at least 25% of their electricity from wind, which is a pretty easy goal for them. There are many companies that signed up for this plan, such as, Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank, Method, Lego and Bloomberg. "We believe in leading by example and have increased our use of clean electricity from 7 percent to 65 percent over the last four years," says and officer from Deutsche Bank.

Opinion: I think it is great that these companies are switching to renewable energy. Their clean energy has gone up so much. Hopefully this will cause less pollution. Also, many other companies should start doing this too. I have seen many windmills when I drive out to the countryside and that is good!

Questions:

1. How do you think they came up with this?

2. Would you do it if you owned a company?

3. How would this effect negatively?

Solar Panels Are Cheaper Than We've Been Told

By: Sami Grover
Energy / Renewable Energy December 8, 2011
Treehugger-Copyright © 2011 Discovery Communications
http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/solar-panels-are-cheaper-weve-been-told.html

This is a picture of solar panels on a house.

Summary: It is predicted that solar panels will be cheaper than coal in the near future. Joshua Hill reports that many postive reports about grid parity and solar competitiveness are overestimating solar's true costs. Solar panels also lose efficiency much more slowly than older technologies. Coal and other fossil fuels are hidden with very high costs. Some poeple do not think they can afford solar panels because it is too expensive, but really the fossil fuels we use now will end up being more expensive than solar power. Not only are coal and fossil fuels expensive, they are very bad for the environment. Solar panels would help the environment because they are a clean. renewable source of energy.

Opinion/Reflection: I had no idea that solar panels would end up being cheaper than coal and the other fossil fuels, in the near future. The fossil fuels we use now are very bad for the environment and I think it would be smart for more people to start using solar panels. If more people got solar panels, than it would really help the environment and it would help us financially in the future, so it is a win win! I made a connection with this because some of my friends have solar panels and I have heard that they are very expensive, but now I know they would really be helping us in the future.

Questions:

1. Do you think it would pay off for more people to get solar panels now, with our economy? Why or why not.

2. Why do you think the fossil fuels we use right now will be more expensive than solar panels in the future?

3. What would be the impact of the environment if more people used solar panels?

Buses Turning Green in Big Cities...Literally!

Green Buses

By: John Tarantino, published on "The Enviormental Blog" on November 25th, 2011

Picture: The picture above shows two ecofriendly buses that are going to start appearing more in big cities, such as New York City and Chigaco.
Summary: Transportation is important, and although in big cities people are able to walk where they need to go, quicker transportation such as buses is still a requirement. Buses are typically known for being non-ecofriendly, and pollute the air and major cities. They use tons of gas and diesel, create plenty of pollution, and everything else in between. In NYC, their subway project is already years and billions of dollars behind schedule. Some say that building mass transit is a waste, while others say it is important even though it would be pricy. Buses are known for supporting low-income people with transportation, and dimishing buses because they aren't ecofriendly would cause chaos. Cars will be cars and pollute, but people have been looking into getting greener buses (literally, and ecofriendly). Major American cities including New York, Chigaco, Los Angeles, and Washington have starting introducing these green buses. The green buses run on solar, electric, hydrogen energy, or even a combination of all three! While other methods of transportation are burning fossil fuels that will take millions of years to replace, the bus industry is beginning to change for the better.

Reflection: I personally think that this is awesome...for everyone! The bus companies don't get complaints about how much they pollute, the people are happy with the eco-friendly buses, and they even look good!! Because buses are so popular in highly popullated cities, the amount of air pollution in the cities should decrease once the buses have went to the green side. This impacts me, because now when I go to the city, and take a bus (hopfully a green bus), I know I will be helping the enviorment and won't feel bad about taking a bus. I was just in NYC yesterday, and it was so polluted, and even with such a small change with the buses, it would point the city in the right direction.

Questions:
1) What do you think of this idea? Is it good or bad, and why or why not should bus companies use it?
2) Do you think green buses will catch on? Will they work for the people? Why or why not?
3) Do you think that these buses will cause the city to become more green as a whole? Why or why not?
4) Do you see any downsides to using these green buses? How are these downsides?

United Airlines Flies Biofuel Commercial Flight in the U.S

http://www.treehugger.com/aviation/first-commercial-biofuel-flights-us-take-week.html

Picture: This picture shows Boeing 737 in flight using biofuels.

Summary: United Airlines used a mix of Solazyme algae biofuels and traditional jet fuels. Passengers flew from Houston to Chicago. Business Green reports that 40% of the fuel is biofuels and 60% is traditional jet fuels. United airlines wasn't the first to come up with this idea. Insiders speculate that Alaska Airlines was the first to think of this idea. United Airlines however, rushed to get the first biofuel flight off the ground. Alaska Airlines has shown that they are more commited to this biofuel idea in planes but United Airlines just stole their idea. United Airlines was greatly praised for a great discovery that biofuels with traditional plane fuels actualy work.

Opinion/Reflection: I think this is a great idea. We can cut back on how much traditional jet fuel and use more of biofuel. We have to be careful when using biofuels too, because that could run out too. United should of waited until Alaska flew the first flight with biofuels because it was orginally Alaska's idea. I think this will definatley conserve the traditional gas and save that for the future. I fly alot because of vacations and visits with family members. I flew all over the world. It would be awesome if i could get on a flight with biofuel being used.

Questions:

1) How do you think Alaska Airlines came up with the idea of Biofuels in airplanes?

2) What are the positives and Negitives of the new method of fueling airplanes ?

3)How would this help the environment? Why or why not?

Two New Visions for America's Next Energy Future

http://earthtrends.wri.org/updates/node/323
Submitted by Matt Kallman

PICTURE: Former vice president Al Gore makes a speech on his challenge to do what is called "Repower America."

SUMMARY: Former vice president Al Gore made a speech in Washington to talk of his challenge "Repower America." He wants the whole U.S. to move from using the electricity sector to wind, geothermal, and solar in about 10 years or so. He says that since prices of fossil fuels and such resources are increasing, we should switch to affordable eco friendly ways for power. 90 percent of the electricity in the United States is provided by fossil fuels. Already the use of fossil fuels have been picking up speed of polluting the planet. We must build and spread infastructures to areas like the southwest

Picture: A woman in Africa is poring water into the solar filter.

http://www.treehugger.com/solar-technology/eliodomestico-solar-house-still.html?campaign=th_rss

Summary: Half of humanity is going to be effected by the water crisis that is spreading to different countries. Their water is not cleaned properly and many people are getting diseases. But, designer, Gabriele Diamanti, has found an inexpensive and easy way to change the issue. The filter doesn't use electricity, it is solar so always dependable and filters 5 liters per day. This great filter is called eilodomestico, it is an easy way to filter your water. First, you just pour the water into the spout and walk away and finish what you need to. Then, over the course of the day, it will filter using the solar power. "The heat turns the water into steam, which travels down through a nozzle and condenses against the lid of the bowl at the bottom of the still." At the end of the day, all of the water is purified. The bowl can easily be carried on one's head to bring it home.

Opinion/Reflection: I think it is really cool that someone is trying to help the problem in Africa where there is not much clean water to drink for many people. This idea seems like it would work really well, according to the article. It ties really well to our unit because we watched the Jay-Z diaries and we read about the arsenic issue in India. Hopefully this contraption will work for the people and spread around to help all of the other countries in need.

Questions:

1. Do you think this will work? Why?

2. If you were living in Africa, would you want to use it?

3. How do you think that they thought of this?

Arsenic can be Removed with Plastic Bottles and Nutrition Supplements?!

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/removing-arsenic-from-water-withplastic-bottles-and-nutrition-supplements.html?campaign=th_rss

Picture: This picture shows a plastic water bottle sitting in a body of water. This represents the water bottle that can remove the arsenic.








Summary: When people think of water bottles, they think of a serious problem. Well, scientists are saying that plastic water bottles can get rid of some arsenic in the water and make it clean water. The American Chemical Society reports that more that 100 million people are exposed to very high levels of arsenic in their drinking water. With this simple technology, we can fix that. Areas such as India, Bangladesh, and other southeast Asian countries are at an encounter with arseninc in their drinking water. The scientists have a method when it comes to taking arsenic out of the water. First they coat pieces of the plastic water bottles with cystiene- an amino acid found in dietary supplements and foods. Then stur the plastic in the contaminated water. This works like a magnet. All the arsenic in the water sticks to the plastic and you just pull out the plastic and the water is safe to drink.

Opinion/Reflection: I think this a great way to recycle all our used water bottles. So many people just litter or throw out water bottles. You could donate these and save some less fourtunate people. Whoever found out this method should get a lot of credit and fame. Arsenic is a very dangerous substance and can harm the human body as learned in class. I can connect to this because we learned about the Indian people who have high levels of arsenic in their water and I saw the man with the messed up feet and hands.

Questions:
1) How do you think this was method was discovered?
2) Do you think this is going to save a lot of people? Why or why not?
3)Why do you think these certain people/countries have aresenic in their water supply?