Low-cost solar energy is the way to go for our home! At my home, saving money is almost everything.  Yes, we want to live green.  Yes, we want to lower our carbon footprint.  But tell us how to capture solar energy with low-cost materials…. and….. well, you had me at “low-cost.” Truth be told, cost is often cited as a major pitfall when it comes to converting to renewable energy – particularly with respect to solar power.  But, for those of us that are excited ab... Read Full Story

Save the earth while enjoying your coffee! Its Sunday morning.  Time to linger over a nice hot cup of joe.  In fact, I’m going to pour myself another steaming mug right now. Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely love coffee?  Fair Trade- sourced,  of course! Unlike sodas, or perhaps even tea, you can enjoy fair trade coffee (or other sourced coffee) and help the environment too.  There are many uses for coffee grounds these days. You have probably heard of using your spent coffee ... Read Full Story

My daughter outside the Bronx Zoo's Eco Restroom I thought that being the mom of three little girls meant life would be all roses, tea parties and ballet. Well not really. I imagined that they would not have a fascination with all things toilet related. I thought I was off the hook. I was so wrong. Early on I had to make a few rules, which still require vigilant enforcement, such as: no poop talk while Mom is trying to eat, no making fun of your sister when she’s sick from both ends and... Read Full Story

Green Tech Investment is Expected to Continue to grow While the Copenhagen Climate Summit is next month, and projections are somewhat grim, green tech investment is not expected to suffer.  Quite frankly, numbers speak more loudly than words when it comes to the arguable irrelevance of the UN decision-making when it comes to private sector investments for a sustainable future. Get this:  Between $5-6 billion (that’s with a “B”) in venture capital will go to green technology ... Read Full Story

Don’t believe in global warming?  Do you think that its nothing but green hype when people worry about the future of a number of plant and animal species as a result of human selfishness? Save the Coral Reefs! (image from NOAA National Ocean Services on Flickr) Consider this: a petition has been filed for protection of 83 coral species in United States, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.  Coral reefs existing in waters from Florida to Hawaii, and territories in the Caribbean and Pa... Read Full Story

Electric cars in Seattle will soon have plenty of places to recharge Infrastructure for electric cars in the City of Seattle, Washington just got a huge boost!  A $100 million federal grant to the Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec) will help pay for 2,500 electric vehicle charging stations in the region, to be constructed starting next year.  The Emerald City (as Seattle is fondly known) is one of 5 cities to receive this important funding. Because much of the electricity ... Read Full Story

In Home ecoMeter Cutting back on electricity use can seem simple enough, but have you been able to track exactly what is working (and saving) and what isn’t? It’s mostly guesswork. You do everything you can in a given month to reduce your consumption and when the bill arrives you attempt to figure out how much you saved over last year this time and if your efforts have been successful. At least that how I do it! Things are changing fast. The new ecoMeter by Landis+Gyr gives homeow... Read Full Story

Its about time the polar bears receive critical habitat A long-awaited announcement concerning polar bears was made last week.  The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will propose designation of more than 200,000 square miles along the north coast of Alaska as polar bear critical habitat.  It has until June 30, 2010 to finalize the critical habitat designation. The move is pursuant to a lawsuit settlement to address claims of the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Def... Read Full Story

Reva Electric Car: the next big thing in small electric cars You’ve probably heard of the Chevy Volt, or the impressive Tesla Roadster.  Electric vehicles are finally moving from the drawing board and onto highways around the world.  While this paradigm shift from gasoline pumps to plug-in cars is occurring, there are some in the world that have big plans for small electric cars. We’re talking tiny – practically golf-cart-sized. In fact, one might wonder whether golf clubs w... Read Full Story

What will happen to the Black-tailed Prairie Dogs? How can you resist such a cute face?  The Black-tailed Prairie Dog (shown to the left) has been considered for protection as an endangered species recently.  Yet, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is now considering whether to approve a poison – Kaput-D – that could be used to exterminate the cute little critters! Marketed as gopher bait, the poison may bring to mind images of Caddyshack, as you consider the... Read Full Story