Fortune Water Carafes by Mark Braun
by: mocoloco, 2011-11-30 02:55:52 UTC

Tools of the Green Manufacturing Trade, Part 3
by: Environmental Leader, 2011-11-30 08:34:45 UTC
This is a continuation of my discussion of the the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Sustainable Manufacturing Toolkit and related items. In case you’ve missed the past two posting you can see the first here and the second here. Last time we looked at the seven defined steps from priority setting to performance [...]

U.S. Geothermal Resources Could Replace Coal 10 Times Over
by: Eco Geek Latest, 2011-11-30 20:31:12 UTC

A new map of geothermal energy potential released by Southern Methodist University is the result of years of research funded by Google.org.  The map (click here to download and view in Google Earth) shows that there are enough viable geothermal resources in the U.S. to replace the current coal power capacity ten times over.

Last year, SMU gave us a sneak peak of the research they've been doing by releasing a geothermal energy potential map for West Virginia.  Surprisingly, the state is a hot spot for geothermal energy recovery, a wonderful development in an area where coal power has dominated for a long time.

The study limited its analysis to the top 6.5 km of the earth's crust to accurately portray what was actually drillable, recoverable energy.  When the researchers applied limits to depth and excluded areas that were inaccessible due to being in large urban areas or national parks, the technical potential versus theoretical potential for geothermal energy production was revealed.  The technical potential was about 14 percent of the theoretical potential, yet still enough to crush our current coal power capacity ten times over.

via Climate Progress

How Autodesk Uses Cloud Computing to Revolutionize Sustainable Design
by: Greener Design, 2011-11-29 07:25:00 UTC

Autodesk is on a mission to dispel any doubts about the power and possibilities that cloud computing brings to sustainable design. The technology and its impacts on design are Topic A at company's user conference in Las Vegas.

Patagonia's Conscientious Response to Black Friday Consumer Madness
by: Greener Design, 2011-11-28 10:00:27 UTC

The outdoor retailer used a full-page ad in the New York Times this last weekend to offer a few wise words about sustainable consumption.

Eco Goes Lux at the L.A. Auto Show
by: Greener Design, 2011-11-28 12:45:40 UTC

At last week's auto show, car makers from around the globe -- from Tokyo, Detroit, Bavaria and beyond -- brought high-end electric and hybrid vehicles to show off the fact that green is not just mainstream, it's top-of-the-line.

high-tech folding stroller by 4moms
by: Designboom - Weblog, 2011-11-29 17:50:00 UTC

powered by its own generator, the high-tech automatically folding stroller features an LCD display that keeps track of battery status, distance and speed walked, and external temperature.

read more

Navigating Eco-Certification Claims
by: Environmental Leader, 2011-11-28 11:36:10 UTC
Kendall Jackson Wines VP of sustainability, Robert Boller, discusses navigating eco-certifications to determine whether or not the statements are true.

CSCI: Understanding Network Energy Use Is Key to Efficiency
by: Environmental Leader, 2011-11-28 10:03:34 UTC
Measuring, monitoring and responding to system energy use are key to optimizing the overall energy performance of network systems, according to a white paper released by IT consortium Climate Savers Computing Initiative. According to Power Management for Networking Devices, mapping the components of power consumption in a system – including input power, used power and [...]

London Using Glue to Clean Up Air
by: Eco Geek Latest, 2011-11-28 19:49:51 UTC

The European Union is requiring member countries to have no more than 35 bad air days per year by 2012 or the countries will face fines of around $450 million.  In order to clean up air pollution to meet the EU's standards, London is turning to glue.  Well, a glue of sorts.  The English capital is applying a calcium-based adhesive to streets to trap particulate air pollution and, believe it or not, it's working.

The city's street sweepers have applied the adhesive to air pollution hot spots around the city and particulate levels in those areas have dropped 14 percent.  The project has cost the city $1.4 million so far, which is pretty expensive, but 14 percent is a pretty substantial reduction from glue alone and a far cry from a payout of $450 million if they didn't meet the standards.

London will be taking other action to reduce air pollution, including rolling out cleaner buses, retiring the most polluting taxis, enforcing stricter emissions standards and planting trees.

via Grist