Posts filed under 'In the news'
November 18th, 2009
That’s the headline I take away from this week’s Associated Press/NBC Universal poll.
According to the AP story:
A solid majority of Americans recognize the need to help the environment, although there are some things — like buying a hybrid car or taking mass transit — that people often talk about, but don’t necessarily act on.
What the numbers show (again, according to the story):
– 72 percent were very likely to recycle cans and bottles.
– 63 percent were very likely to turn down thermostats.
– 62 percent were very likely to buy energy-efficient appliances.
– 59 percent were very likely to use cold water for clothes washing.
– 59 percent were very likely to buy recycled paper products.
– More than half said it would help the environment if people brought their own shopping bags to stores, and 46 percent said they were very likely to do so, while 25 percent ruled it out.
– More than 6 in 10 people said they thought car pooling or using mass transit would help the environment. Yet only 3 in 10 said they were very likely to do it, and 4 in 10 said they were not at all likely to car pool or take mass transit.
– About 45 percent of those surveyed embraced the idea of gas-electric hybrid cars, but only 1 in 5 would be very likely to buy such a vehicle, and half said they were “not at all likely” to buy one.
My observations:
1. I understand the challenge of carpooling and mass transit: I don’t do either here.
2. I don’t totally buy the complaint that hybrids are “too expensive” — the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight start in the low $20,000s. While that is out of the price range for some, it’s in line with a lot of cars I see on the highway.
3. I can’t believe more people don’t recycle. That’s why I still find cans and bottles and jars in the garbage.
So I ask…
Do you see most people making a real effort to "go green"?
November 17th, 2009
That’s what the Dutch government wants to do (in case you missed the brief in the paper over the weekend).
The payoff? According to Wired:
– No ownership or sales taxes, which are about 25 percent of the price of a new car there.
– A 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions as people drive less and avoid peak traffic times (meaning less congestion, too).
Parliament still must sign off on the plan, which would cost about 7 cents per mile.
The “green tax” might not fly. After all, it requires GPS tracking. And opponents say it would unfairly hurt business drivers, according to AP.
November 11th, 2009
Five out of the seven Republican candidates for governor don’t believe that global warming is caused by human activity — you know, pollution from cars, factories and power plants.
Read for yourself:
1. “I don’t accept the premise that man is the cause of global warming, if global warming even exists,” Kirk Dillard, a state senator from Hinsdale, said at a candidate forum last week.
2. Dan Proft, a Chicago-area public relations consultant, said Al Gore and other global warming activists are “kind of enviro-terrorists.”
3. “Global warming is not created by man and anybody who says that, it’s just bad science. It’s not true,” said Bob Schillerstrom, chairman of the DuPage County Board.
4. “We have great opportunities in this state and anyone who voted for cap-and-trade voted to penalize Illinois families and workers and should apologize for it,” said state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington.
Count out the two Democratic candidates (Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes) and the GOP’s Jim Ryan. One other Republican, Andy McKenna, hasn’t taken a stand.
OK, somehow, a fifth Republican was missing from this story…. Makes about as much sense as disagreeing with science. Guessing it’s businessman Adam Andrezejewski.
November 3rd, 2009
Seven and a half tons of steel from the World Trade Center were recycled to build the Navy assault ship USS New York, which is being commissioned this week.
Its motto: “Strength forged through sacrifice. Never forget.”
October 24th, 2009
CNNMoney reports this week that the Department of Energy says more independent testing for the Energy Star appliance labels is needed.
For example, one LG fridge rated itself twice as energy-efficient as it is.
Still, officials stand behind the program and its benefit to the planet (and your pocketbook).
October 23rd, 2009
Having stayed in a hotel this week, I wondered again why they make so many little bars of soap that go to waste after a use or two (like why can’t they just refill liquid soap dispensers?).
Someone is doing something about it, according to The Associated Press. Former refugee Derreck Kayongo has collected 10,000 pounds of soap from 60 hotels to melt down and distribute in Uganda. Soap that saves lives by combatting diarrhea and disease.
To learn more about the Global Soap Project:
Donations may be mailed to Global Soap Project, P.O. Box 94021, Atlanta, GA 30318.
October 21st, 2009
That’s what Administrator Lisa Jackson told NPR last week when the agency revealed its 2007 “endangerment finding.”
Written while President Bush was in office, the document says greenhouse gases are dangerous and need to be regulated under the Clean Air Act.
Jackson said the Obama administration, which accepts this need, is putting an increased emphasis on the public health effects of greenhouse gases. That’s why you see more of a legislative push on energy and fuel standards.
October 7th, 2009
Actress Jessica Biel will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in January to raise awareness of the fact that 1 billion people worldwide lack access to clean, safe drinking water.
Summit on the Summit, organized by singer Kenna, says every 15 seconds, a chid dies of a waterborne illness. The mountain is the highest point in Africa. You can donate by clicking on the Summit link.
October 1st, 2009
Is it lighted red and yellow, in regconition of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China?
Is it lighted green, in recognition of the 70th anniversary of “The Wizard of Oz”? (No, that was actually red … ruby slippers! Green has been for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.)
Or has it just gone green? The landmark New York City skyscraper has undergone $550 million in renovations. In addition to bringing back the Art Deco splendor of the lobby, the project has replaced all 6,500 windows. The Empire State Building upgrades all together are expected to create a 40 percent energy savings, according to NPR.
Here is the lighting schedule, by the way.
October 1st, 2009
Update on the news:
Prairie Hill school board members are still trying to get the noise problem under control at the new “green” school in South Beloit, Willowbrook Middle School.
They want the architect and a new engineering firm to come up with a way to fix the ducts, which seem to be the culprit.
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