Proposed Stickers for New Cars

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Robert Hash

Yesterday, the Obama administration unveiled two proposed versions of window stickers for new cars. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 directed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the EPA to rate vehicles on greenhouse gas and smog emissions, in addition to mileage. These two stickers help fulfill that mission, and are designed to educate consumers on the environmental impacts of driving a particular car. They are, according to a New York Times article, “the biggest change to the window labels since they were created three decades ago.”

Right Now: Solar More Cost-Effective than Nuclear

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Robert Hash

Well, it’s true in North Carolina, according to Dr. John Blackburn, economist and former Duke University chancellor. Accounting for incentives for both energy types, Dr. Blackburn asserts that solar already costs equal to or less than nuclear per kWh, and will be significantly cheaper by the time any proposed nuclear plants could become operational.

Even though the findings are specific to North Carolina, a quick look at the solar resource potential reveals that Dr. Blackburn’s findings could very well prove true in many other states.

Image via NC WARN

Chart of the Day: Energy Use in the US

Posted on August 30, 2010 by Robert Hash

This chart from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory depicts the energy generated and used in the US based on EIA data through August 2010. What is the chart’s main story? “Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources,” according to the laboratory.

Be sure to read the article that was published with the chart. It further explains how to interpret the chart and tells which renewable energy sources experienced the biggest gains over the last year.

Chart via Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

The Navy and Marines Commit to Renewable Energy

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Robert Hash

The New York Times reports that Sec. of the Navy Ray Mabus made a strong commitment to renewable energy at a recent speech. Speaking at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, Sec. Mabus announced that the Navy will meet 50% of its energy needs with renewable energy “within 10 years.” The Secretary reportedly sees fossil-based energy as a vulnerability of the Navy and Marine Corps, and hopes that utilizing renewables will make the Navy’s and Marine Corps.’ energy supply less susceptible to disruption.

What makes the Navy confident that they can meet this goal? According to The New York Times, Sec. Maybus said, “If we provide the market, then I think you’ll begin to see the infrastructure being built.” We’re excited to see how things progress.

Photo via The New York Times

The Science of Green: Spray-on Solar Panels

Posted on August 26, 2010 by Robert Hash

We love finding new green technology and sharing it with our readers. This week, we want to share a product from the Sweedish company EnSol, that we found via cnet. EnSol has created a spray-on film that turns the surface of whatever it is applied to into a solar panel. The product, which might sound a bit too-good-to-be-true, has already been demonstrated and EnSol is now working to achieve a 20% or greater efficiency with the product.

Think it still sounds like a long way off? Cnet reports that the solar panel spray could be on the market by 2016.

Image via cnet

Green Tech at Work: Solar Wall Systems

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Robert Hash

It’s always great to find green technology that is already working and producing great results, and Solar Wall Systems is doing just that. Solar Wall has developed a type of heating system, a “Solar Wall” that works well with the large buildings typically found on military bases. These solar walls are already being used by the military at Fort Drum, NY, Fort Huachuca, AZ, Fort Carson, CO, Fort Lewis, WA, Buckley Air Force Base, CO, Edwards Air Force Base, CA, and Norfolk Naval Base, VA. These sites are able to cut their energy consumption – and costs – because the system uses ventilation heating, which is more cost-effective than conventional heating.

Though Solar Wall offers many products for various needs, you can read more about their military applications here.

Green Building: Jobs of the Future

Posted on August 24, 2010 by Robert Hash

One decision, such as choosing to build a green building, can have a bigger impact than you might think.

In the world of green, choosing to build a green building changes so many aspects of the building’s construction, operating and maintenance, that it is sometimes difficult to keep track of the jobs that the decision changes and creates. Luckily, the Washington State Department of Ecology put together a nice video on green buildings that gives a great understanding of the ripple effects of deciding to build green.

Robert Kennedy, Jr. to Keynote at GOVgreen Conference and Exposition

Posted on August 23, 2010 by Robert Hash

We are very pleased to share with you today that Robert Kennedy, Jr. will be the keynote speaker at the GOVgreen Conference and Exposition this November 9-10 in Washington, D.C. “We’re proud to have such a distinguished speaker for our inaugural event,” says Ann Seltz, President of the Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership.

Mr. Kennedy is President of Waterkeeper Alliance and is a long-time environmental advocate. In addition to his Waterkeeper role, Kennedy serves as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, is a professor at Pace University School of Law’s Environmental Litigation Clinic and was co-host of Ring of Fire on Air American Radio. He previously worked as the lead attorney in helping Riverkeeper restore the Hudson River. Riverkeeper’s success helped create more than 160 Waterkeeper organizations worldwide. For his accomplishments and active role in environmental issues, Kennedy has been named on of TIME magazine’s “Heroes of the Planet”, and one of Rolling Stone’s “100 Agents of Change.”

“Our attendees will find Mr. Kennedy’s experience with local, national and global water conservation interesting and useful,” says Seltz.

To learn more about GOVgreen, and to register for the event, visit www.GOVgreen.org.

CEIL Blog Friday Wrap-Up

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Robert Hash

In case you missed any posts from earlier this week, we’ve collected them below in a handy list for you!

Don’t forget to check out the latest green government news on the CEIL website!

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The Science of Green: How do Carbon Offsets Work?

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Robert Hash

With all that’s going on in the world of green these days, it can be nice to take a step back and find out how an environmentally-friendly process or machine works. So, with that in mind, we’re sharing an article called “How Carbon Offsets Work” with you today.

The article discusses how offsets work, why they are useful, and includes some discussion about whether or not they are a good idea for the environment. We hope you enjoy it!

Image via How Stuff Works