Green shopping for teens

Consider the impact on the environment and choose the green options

Full Story [Mother Nature Network]

Wal-Mart Turns Corrugated Waste into Pizza Boxes

Wal-Mart recycles its cardboard into boxes for its bake at home pizzas

Full Story [Environmental Leader]

Going boldly together where few have gone before

Canada and its 29 partners in the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) are being challenged by the Paris-based body to have the political moxy to put carbon taxes in place.

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria threw down the gauntlet during a news conference he called to release the Economics of Climate Change Mitigation, an OECD study which is a key element of preparations for the COP15 in Copenhagen in early December.

Among other things, the report urges developed countries to at least double their targets for reducing greenhouse gases and Gurria said it provides the analytical support and economic rationale to help decision-makers at the Copenhagen summit to strike a practicable deal on climate change.

In its report, the OECD says carbon taxes must be part of a broader strategy for Copenhagen. The current average OECD commitment is for a reduction of 8-14 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020, well short of the 25-40 per cent cut the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says is necessary to keep global average temperatures from rising by more than two degrees Celsius.

Calling on OECD member governments to coordinate support for taxes as well as a cap-and-trade approach which would effectively put a price on carbon, the OECD says complaints about costs of carbon taxation are unjustified.

It concedes that a global carbon market would have a four per cent negative effect on global gross domestic product by 2050, but Gurrie pointed out that over the same period, GDP growth is projected to grow by more than 250 per cent.

Gurria said “action to mitigate climate change must be taken at a cost that countries can afford.” That was possible only with “a cost-effective set of policy instruments, with a focus on carbon pricing” applied as broadly as possible to all emission sources. He admitted the unlikelihood of getting a global carbon market overnight but said some countries may need to take the lead despite understandable concerns about their international competitiveness.

He said these first movers also worry about carbon leakage, the risk that emissions reductions in some countries would offset by increases elsewhere. ”Developed countries need to take the lead in reducing emissions, but the most cost-effective way to tackle carbon leakage would be for the largest emitting emerging economies to join them and, later, all developing countries.”

Eco-Friendly Packaging for BASF Crop Protection Products Reduces Agriculture’s Carbon Footprint

New, innovative and environmentally friendly packaging system will help farmers work more profitably and safely

Full Story [cleantech]

e-bike power

Electric is the word when it comes to urban transportation. From C-trains to hybrid cars, there are more ways than ever to get around downtown, emission free. Now motor-assisted bicycles and electric scooters are about to become all the rage. With a new regulation in Alberta, electric bikes may be a more “powerful” option. Users will no longer need a licence, insurance or registration in order to ride one.

Topping at 32km/h, e-bikes may not be right for highway driving, but perfect for running errands in your neighbourhood. In some –not all – cases, they may be suited for your daily commute. Because of the new regulations, many retailers believe you will see more commuters on e-bikes.

While traditional bicycles remain popular, some routes require just a little more juice, like biking uphill or long distances. Despite having more power than a traditional bike, if recharged via renewable provider like Bullfrog Power, it’s still emissions-free.

Electric scooters are gaining in popularity as well. Consumers often report feeling safer on a scooter than a bike, whether motorized or not. This is partly because other vehicles treat it like a vehicle, and partly because it has some car-like features; rear-view mirrors, turn signals and horns.

While generally intended for use within a few kilometres of a city’s downtown area, they are gaining popularity with riders further from the core. There is no question that both e-bikes and electric scooters are strong additions to the plethora of urban electric vehicles.

Vroom!

Renton’s Greensource sees steady demand for ‘green’ clothing

Eco-friendly clothing boosts sales

Full Story [The Seattle Times]

Turning Seaweed into the Fuel of the Future

Researchers explore seaweed as a biofuel source

Full Story [Scientific American]

Sea water to jet fuel

It’s true; you can make fuel out of just about anything these days. Scientists in the US Navy are making jet fuel out of sea water. Using a variation on the same technique used to make hydrocarbon fuels from syngas (derived from coal), they can extract carbon dioxide from the sea water.

Then, it can be further processed into unsaturated short-chain hydrocarbons, and refined into a kerosene-like fuel. The CO2 found in sea water is about 140 times more concentrated than in the air, making the ocean a veritable gold mine for this process.

With water, water everywhere, not a drop to drink, the Navy figured it should find some use for it other than floating their boats. With the threat of global warming, glaciers and icebergs melting, sea levels rising, maybe using sea water for fuel isn’t such a bad idea. After all, there may be a surplus.

Of course, they are developing it as a “clean” energy – or they will, provided they find the best catalyst; one that will create a minimum of carbon or methane during the process. Which means the glaciers and icebergs will not be melting, and there will not be a surplus of sea water…

But maybe the key here is using CO2- extracted from any source- as a fuel. This could solve a number of the worlds’ current problems, included global warming, and reliance on foreign oil.

Recycle CO2 as a fuel source, and reduce it in the atmosphere as well.

Can the Sun Help Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Fuel?

Researchers demonstrate another way to use the sun’s heat

Full Story [Environmental News Network]

College expansion taking shape

Centre for green technology expension project underway in Penticton

Full story [PentictonWesternNews.com]

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