In a rare uncontensious round of voting, the US House unanimously approved a group of bills Monday that would protect wide swaths of wilderness in the west and ban some drilling there. Wilderness designations would forbid commercial building and motor vehicles on the land…
US House Unanimous in Protecting Wilderness
Saving the World, One Video Game at a Time
Peacemaker is a new video game about the conflict in the Middle East that let’s players assume the roles of either the Israeli prime minister or Palestinian president. It sparks empathy for the other side among college students who are testing the game in tandem with Carnegie Mellon University, and developers. Arab and Jewish students discover that bringing peace to the region is tricky, takes time and tact, and sometimes many failed attempts…
Grease Is the Word: Fill It Up With Fry Oil
Some diesel cars, like the Volkswagen Jetta, are speeding happily along the highway fueled only by vegetable oil from restaurants that was previously used for deep-frying …
$256M to Rebuild Gulf Coastlines
The US Interior Department announced last week $256 million in new federal funds to restore vital wetlands and parks along the Gulf coast that were devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. More than 118 square miles of wetlands and marshes on the southeastern Louisiana coast were turned into open water by the twin hurricanes last year. If wetlands are not restored, nearby communities are at increased risk from future storms…
Dry Clean Only… A Thing of the Past
A Holland America cruise ship can now successfully process all "Dry Clean Only" garments without the conventional Dry Cleaning fluid and its toxic chemicals! (Sustainable Business)
Greenhouse Pollution Drops in China, India Thanks to Low-Tech Fixes
A UN pilot energy-efficiency project in the developing world’s three leading economies, Brazil, China, and India, helped owners of local mills, factories, and office parks to cut their power use by as much as a third by installing equipment such as energy-efficient air conditioning units and steam boilers. (National Geographic)
Change Your Company’s Light Bulbs, Save a Bundle
If your business cares about cost reduction, then go green! Grist Magazine illustrates why:
At the meeting, she offered an illustrative example involving three fluorescent light bulbs: one cost $1 and was expected to last two years; another cost $5 and lasted eight years; the third cost $2 and lasted two years, but used 30 percent less electricity… “When I ran the actual numbers, including real costs of electricity for all of our facilities around the world, plus labor and disposal costs… I showed them that the cheapest bulb would cost us $50 million more than the most efficient bulb.”
Check out this dimmable CF Warm Glow bulb, with more features.)
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Willy the Cat Suspected as Gardening-Glove Thief
Carolyn submitted this story, to which we both say, HILARIOUS! … A lady in New York awoke last week to find a pink and white garden glove missing from her porch … She had no doubt who was the culprit … (AP story and photo of 1-year-old kitty with stash of garden gloves)
Victoria Required to Clean Up Sewage
Barry Penner, the British Columbia Environment Minister, announced today that Victoria will be required to provide a fixed schedule for sewage treatment to the provincial government no later than June 2007. The announcement should bring to a close the 15-year battle to stop Victoria from dumping millions of litres of raw sewage into the Georgia Strait each day.
Check out the Archives!
I uploaded another 13 stories to the Archives: stories from the old website’s LIFE section, 1997-1998. They remain timeless stories of organizations still operating and changing the world. Some of my favorites are the Eden Alternative, Patch Adams, Heifer Project, Firefighters Welcoming Gang Members in LA, Service Dogs Helping the Emotionally Challenged, and…
G is for Grand Forks!
EDITOR’S BLOG
Hello to all the folks in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Their talk radio station, KNOX, just did an interview with me about the Good News Network. I think I was politically incorrect when I voiced my feeling that the war in Lebanon (I guess we can call it that, now) isn’t relevant to my life…
Stay Cool but Save Electricity (and Money)
With this week’s heat wave, demand for electricity is reaching peak levels in many parts of the country. The really good news is that there are many simple, no- and low-cost tips to become more energy efficient.
Here are nine tips plus info on receiving tax credits you didn’t know you could earn just by making your home more efficient …
Lower 9th Finally Gets Mail Delivery
Imagine not having postal service in your town for 11 months. That’s what it’s been like for remaining and returning residents of the lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans — until this week. Mail was restored, and it sure felt good for residents. This route’s letter carrier moved back from Texas — where he’d been living since evacuation — to help rebuild the city. (USA Today)
Gates Spends $287M on New AIDS Vaccine Push
Bill Gates’ Foundation announced $287 million in grants on Wednesday to create an international cooperative of 16 labs working together to find a vaccine for AIDS. (more)
Progress on Hydrogen Fuel Cells
An update on Hydrogen fuel technology, from AP via MSNBC:
Energy Undersecretary David Garman told a Senate panel that the partnerships to develop hydrogen are “on track” to meet technical goals within the next nine years and to have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in showrooms by 2020.
We Have Our Winners!
Yesterday I announced a contest to see who would be our 500th registered user. The response produced a steady stream of new members leading to a six percent increase in our community membership! Congratulations to Thom Becker, Susan Garren, and A. Ringstad who pushed us over the 500 mark to win our prizes. The book titles that Thom and the other winners will choose from include…
Paralyzed Man Uses Thoughts to Move a Cursor
If you haven’t seen this great news for improving the lives of the paralyzed, check out this man, who, with a small sensor implanted in his brain was able to control a computer, a television set and a robot using only his thoughts. (Science Report with video at the NY Times)
Gentlemen, Charge Your Engines
Electric-car technology is accelerating faster than some of the vehicles do… The Guardian deciphers for us the latest developments, including benefits for plug-in owners like free parking and toll-free driving in the city. Another example: if you’re in London, you can hail a cab from Green Tomato Cars, the cabbies with a conscience:
This minicab company’s fleet is comprised of electric hybrids: “Our fares are the same as other companies’, but our vehicles emit less than half the carbon dioxide of a traditional black cab.” (Their great Web site has energy savings tips!)
Free Plastic Bags To Be Banned in Australia
The state government of Victoria will be first in Australia to charge for every plastic grocery bag used. Environment Minister John Thwaites said a similar approach banning free bags at some stores, and charging 10 cents for the plastic, had reduced bag consumption by 99 percent.
"Non-biodegradable plastic bags kill substantial numbers of whales, seals, turtles and other marine wildlife," Mr Thwaites said. (Read further about the success of such a project elsewhere)…
Loggerhead Turtle Nests Up 22% as Wildfire Burns Nearby
Nesting activity for the threatened Loggerhead Sea Turtle on Blackbeard Island in Georgia has increased 22 percent over its 30-year average. Let’s hope they survive a wildfire, burning on the island since July 6. Historically, fires are natural and create positive effects, explains Biologist Deb Barnard.
