Quantcast

Wind Power Gaining Popularity in New York City

January 6, 2009 · Print This Article

New York City is warming up to wind power, as evidenced by the small turbines that are popping up on the rooftops of apartment buildings. The small turbines typically look like table fans rather than the towering white wind turbines seen in large open spaces. These mini turbines supply power directly to homes without first sending it through a utility company’s lines.

From The New York Times:

One major sticking point in the city is that densely packed buildings tend to scatter breezes, making it tough to capture steady gusts. Although this and other kinks need to be addressed before the widespread rollout of small turbines is possible, there are signs of gains.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg stoked excitement among wind-power advocates in August when he announced that he supported putting turbines atop city skyscrapers.

Of the 60 proposals that were later submitted …

Global Warming

 Thumbnail

Obama Team of Two Minds on Climate Change Action

January 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

President-elect Obama may have some work ahead of him in resolving the conflicting views of members of his staff in regards to climate change action. Lawrence H. Summers, the head of Obama’s economic team, is at odds with Carol M. Browner, the coordinator of energy and climate policy, over how to approach the reduction of greenhouse gases. The two previously found themselves in the same situation as members of the Clinton cabinet. Mr. Summers was then deputy Treasury secretary, and said at the time that though he believed... [Read the full story]

Environment

 Thumbnail

Wind Power Gaining Popularity in New York City

January 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

New York City is warming up to wind power, as evidenced by the small turbines that are popping up on the rooftops of apartment buildings. The small turbines typically look like table fans rather than the towering white wind turbines seen in large open spaces. These mini turbines supply power directly to homes without first sending it through a utility company’s lines. From The New York Times: One major sticking point in the city is that densely packed buildings tend to scatter breezes, making it tough to capture steady... [Read the full story]

Politics

 Thumbnail

High Standards for Businesses Wanting in on Obama’s Green Stimulus

January 1, 2009 · 1 Comment 

Businesses that want a piece of President-elect Obama’s green stimulus plan will have to jump a number of high hurdles in order to qualify. The Obama administration’s stimulus package is expected to range between $675 billion to $775 billion, and to get a piece of the pie, corporations will have to meet some strict criteria. Projects will have to be green, ‘shovel ready’, short-term and job producing in order to qualify for funding. Obama’s team is interested in projects that will push America toward a greener,... [Read the full story]

Fun

 Thumbnail

Send a 1Sky Green New Year’s E-Card

January 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

Keep sustainability at the forefront of your friends’ and family’s minds by sending them e-cards from 1Sky, an organization that is working to build a diverse, society-wide mobilization to convince the U.S. government to take bold action on climate change by 2010. Choose from three designs including Obama’s New Year’s resolutions, ‘One Ball We Can’t Let Drop’ and one that illustrates a potential effect of global warming. What 1Sky’s all about: 1Sky was created in 2007 to focus the power of millions of concerned... [Read the full story]

Green Gear

 Thumbnail

Go Battery-Free with a Wind-Up Remote Control

January 4, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

How many remote controls are sitting on your coffee table right now? Those remotes aren’t just plastic pieces of junk, they also use up batteries. But, there’s no sense in getting up every time you want to change the channel, adjust the volume or pause the DVD you’re watching, so getting rid of them isn’t really an option – or is it? A new wind-up remote powers up to 6 gadgets at a time. Just turn the dial on the front of the remote to charge it – thirty turns will keep it running for a full seven days. Mindlessly... [Read the full story]

Green Business

 Thumbnail

Oil from a Poison Shrub Powers New Zealand Airline Flight

January 4, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

When fuel prices were higher, airlines were going to great lengths to save fuel. They stripped down their planes of all unnecessary weight and even flew slower. Planes do use a staggering amount of fuel, and regardless of the price, all that fossil fuel usage is extremely harmful to the environment. Some airlines aren’t waiting for fuel prices to go back up to find more ways to save fuel. Air New Zealand has found a new biofuel it can mix with jet fuel to power their planes’ engines – and it comes from a poison shrub... [Read the full story]

Subscribe to EarthFirst

Our Latest Stories

 Thumbnail

Obama Team of Two Minds on Climate Change Action

President-elect Obama may have some work ahead of him in resolving the conflicting views of members of his staff in regards to climate change action. Lawrence H. Summers, the head of Obama’s economic team, is at odds with Carol M. Browner, the coordinator... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Global Warming Denier is New European Union President

Taking the helm of the European Union from French President Nicolas Sarkozy is Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a global warming denier who has said in the past that human progress is more important than combating climate change. The presidency of the European... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

The Organic vs. Intensive Farming Debate

As consumers cut back on spending this year, will higher-priced organic foods look less appealing? In case you’re starting to hesitate in the grocery aisle, here’s a little refresher course on why organics are not only better for our bodies... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Green Funerals: Swedish Town Recycles Heat from Crematorium

How would you like to know that the heat you’re enjoying in your home came from burning bodies? We’re not talking about starting a funeral pyre in your living room (that would be, uh, illegal, among other things). But, if the rest of the world uses... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Green College Spotlight: Wellesley College

Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts is a great example of a college that has recently dedicated itself to sustainability and is working hard to make up for lost time in every way it can. The esteemed women’s liberal arts college established... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Garbage Warrior: An Eco-Architect Fights to Build Off-the-Grid

What do beer cans, car tires and water bottles have in common? Not much unless you’re renegade architect Michael Reynolds, in which case they are tools of choice for producing thermal mass and energy-independent housing. Shot over three years in... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Oil from a Poison Shrub Powers New Zealand Airline Flight

When fuel prices were higher, airlines were going to great lengths to save fuel. They stripped down their planes of all unnecessary weight and even flew slower. Planes do use a staggering amount of fuel, and regardless of the price, all that fossil fuel... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Go Battery-Free with a Wind-Up Remote Control

How many remote controls are sitting on your coffee table right now? Those remotes aren’t just plastic pieces of junk, they also use up batteries. But, there’s no sense in getting up every time you want to change the channel, adjust the volume or... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Your Prius Can Act as an Emergency Generator

Owning a Prius has more benefits than simply saving money on gas and lowering your carbon footprint – it can also get your family through a snowstorm by providing power. And while, technically, any car battery hooked up to an inverter can do the same... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Hong Kong Air Pollution Worse than Ever

The air quality in Hong Kong is worse than it has ever been since records began, according to official figures revealed on Friday. Much of the pollution comes from factories just over the border in Southern China, though heavy traffic in the city itself... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

New CO2-Eating Cement Could Help Fight Global Warming

The cement manufacturing process depends on burning vast amounts of coal and produces huge amounts of CO2, yet it’s one of the least-talked about sources of pollution. Treehugger has written about how dirty the cement industry really is in the past,... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Times Square New Year’s Eve Bash Resulted in 40 Tons of Trash

Now that it’s 2009 and New Year celebrations are over, what remains – in Times Square, at least – is tons and tons of trash. About 40 tons of confetti, cups, napkins, hats and other garbage accumulated in the streets during the New Year’s Eve... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Who’s Who in Green: Daryl Hannah

You could say that Daryl Hannah is sort of a green rock star. She drives around in a matte black 1983 El Camino, got herself arrested for protesting the bulldozing of a South Central urban farm and has joined ‘conservationist pirates’ in defending... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

34 Stunning LEED Platinum Projects from Jetson Green

Leave it to green architecture blog Jetson Green to come up with a list of incredible LEED Platinum projects from around the world. The 34 residential and commercial buildings on the list include the twin eco towers planned for Abu Dhabi, the world’s... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Global Warming May Spread Tick-Borne Disease

Warming weather may expose humans to disease through bites from brown dog ticks, which have previously far preferred dogs to people. Brown dog ticks became unusually aggressive around April 2007, which was abnormally warm. Several cases of serious illness... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Great Green Job of the Week: Marketing Manager for Go Green Expo

NYC’s elite event production company is looking for the right Marketing Manager to assist in the marketing and production of the most prestigious GREEN events in the nation, Go Green Expo! We have a rewarding position as a Marketing Manager for... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Send a 1Sky Green New Year’s E-Card

Keep sustainability at the forefront of your friends’ and family’s minds by sending them e-cards from 1Sky, an organization that is working to build a diverse, society-wide mobilization to convince the U.S. government to take bold action on climate... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

High Standards for Businesses Wanting in on Obama’s Green Stimulus

Businesses that want a piece of President-elect Obama’s green stimulus plan will have to jump a number of high hurdles in order to qualify. The Obama administration’s stimulus package is expected to range between $675 billion to $775 billion, and... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Low Cost Housing Made from Loofahs

If you thought all a loofah is good for is exfoliating your butt, think again. The dried vegetable is being used as a renewable, natural building material in impoverished areas of Paraguay thanks to the genius of social activist Elsa Zaldívar.  Elsa... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Gets Green Makeover

When the ball drops tonight in Times Square, New Year’s Eve revelers will get an up-close view of its energy-efficient makeover.  The 12-foot sphere will be double the size of previous balls yet use even less energy thanks to the 32,256 LED lights... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

DeSmogBlog Debunks the Global Warming ‘Skeptics Handbook’

Global warming skeptics love to make ill-informed, illogical claims borne from a total lack of understanding of actual scientific concepts. So, it’s no surprise that many of them are now waving around print-outs of “The Skeptics Handbook” by Joanne... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Unusual Cluster of Earthquakes in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has been experiencing an unusual string of earthquakes lasting three days in a row, from Saturday to Monday. Although such clusters of earthquakes are fairly common in the area due to Yellowstone’s 10,000 geysers and hot springs,... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Tennessee Coal Ash Disaster Dwarfs Exxon Spill

One of the worst environmental disasters in recent memory has unfolded over the last week in Kingston, Tennessee, where a massive coal waste spill has unleashed over a billion gallons of potentially toxic sludge into the Clinch River and surrounding... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Honeybees Susceptible to Cocaine Addiction

Despite the fact that cocaine repels most insects, researchers have found that honeybees can become addicted to the substance and even suffer withdrawal symptoms. Bees on cocaine behave the same way humans do, throwing themselves into highly energetic... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Greenpeace Awards BP with ‘Emerald Paintbrush’ for Worst Greenwashing of 2008

‘Beyond Petroleum’. That was the slogan for BP’s ad campaign that sought to convince us that they’re a green company, investing in renewables and turning toward a clean energy future. Of course, they weren’t fooling anyone who knew better –... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Amateurs Experimenting with Genetic Engineering at Home

Hobbyists are playing around with genetic engineering in their garages, tinkering with DNA to produce things like glow-in-the-dark yogurt. They’re making their own lab equipment and turning to the internet for how-to guides and supplies.  Many of... [Read more]

 Thumbnail

Salay Handmade Paper Puts Weeds to Good Use

Weeds are an annoyance for gardeners, but they do occasionally come in handy. The inhabitants of Mindanao in the Philippines came up with an ingenious – and beautiful - way to use the weeds that were popping up among the crafts in their fields.  They... [Read more]

Read More from the Vaults