The UK has cut in half it's plastic bag usage in three years, meeting a voluntary goal provided by the government.
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The Waxman-Markey climate cap and trade bill currently in the House of Representatives would include a provision for national energy codes that would mandate that new buildings be built up to certain efficiency standards.
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Set in a bit of a political tone, this is the most comprehensive look at what China is doing to reduce it's emissions. There are some very impressive feats on here. I would recommend skipping the intro and conclusion and reading through the things it is doing (like a 40% tax on vehicles with over 4 liter engines or a 10% reduction in the energy intensity of the economy in 3 years).
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The US Department of Energy intends to use $256 million to support Combined Heat and Power systems, Waste Energy Recovery systems, efficient industrial equipment, and improved efficiency in information and communication technology, among other things.
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North Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire is to become the first local authority in the UK to use straw bales to construct social housing. The homes will cost less than the average home and provide three times the required insulation, meaning these homes won't need heating systems.
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The US has revealed a project upgrade windows, insulation, and lighting in low income public housing projects as a part of the administration's green jobs creation strategy.
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The Empire State Building is getting $20 million in energy improvements as a part of a $500 million total building upgrade project. These upgrades will cut energy usage by 40% over the next 15 years and pay for itself in under 5 years. It is aiming for a LEED Gold certification as a result of the upgrades.
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The US House of Representatives approved a modernization bill that includes $6.4 billion dollars to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing schools by reducing energy consumption and installing clean energy systems.
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The US Department of Energy released its budget, in which there were increases for plug-in hybrid technology, biomass, energy conservation, renewable energy, and smart grid technology. There were cuts for nuclear energy and hydrogen fuel cell technology.
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Story of Greensburg, Kansas, which was wiped out by a tornado two years ago and is taking advantage of the opportunity to rebuild the town as a model of sustainability.
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A report from the Sustainable Development Commission found that UK government departments were missing their own targets for emissions reductions by 2011-2012.
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Syd Kitson, a former NFL lineman, has plans to turn a ranch into a sustainable community with energy efficient buildings, solar power, a smart grid, and electric cars. The photovoltaic power plant itself would be twice as large as the current largest photovoltaic plant.
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IST Energy sees a big future for its onsite waste-conversion system. Could this at long last be the forbearer of the Mr. Fusion?
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State energy regulators have approved plans by four utilities to start offering grants within weeks for energy-efficiency projects designed to help the state meet its goal of reducing energy use by 15 percent by 2015. Examples of these projects include grant programs for more efficient air conditioners for residences and more efficient lights, refrigeration systems and other equipment for small businesses.
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The Tompkins County Legislature passed an amendment in December calling for Tompkins to decrease its greenhouse gas output by 80 percent over the next 40 years through several methods of increased efficiency and encouragement of environmentally friendly development. Efforts over the past few years have already been shown to save considerable amounts of money and energy every year.
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Very good Time Magazine article about the importance of energy efficiency, the different types of efficiency and the distinction between efficiency and conservation.
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A new law in New York State requires all large grocers and retailers that offer plastic bags to their customers to provide collection bins for a wide variety of plastic bags and wraps.
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Article discussing weatherproofing and overall sealing your home as one of the best things you can do to help save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. It points out that this does not rely on new technologies and that it can be relatively inexpensive through energy savings and federal tax incentives.
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Reducing waste generation and improving process efficiencies in its semiconductor manufacturing operations has been a continual focus at IBM Burlington. Each year, many thousands of silicon wafers reach the end of their useful life or are rejected for a number of reasons before being shipped to a customer. Historically, the scrap silicon from wafer manufacturing operations was ground and sent to a landfill for disposal. IBM monitor wafers at the end of their life are now being sold to the manufacturers of solar panels as raw material for the production of photovoltaic cells.
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Article on the potential impact of smart appliances on reducing the peak load of the energy grid.
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Blog about the revival of passive design techniques that have been popular in every pre-industrial society.
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Devices that are plugged in but not in use consume between 200 and 400 terawatt hours (TWh) per year, according to the International Energy Agency. Other research pegs the not-in-use drain from 5 to 25 percent of all residential energy used in the U.S., with numbers rising. A large portion of this is due to AC to DC transformers that let off a large amount of waste heat.
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WHILE we all worry about where we’re going to get more energy in an increasingly energy-obsessed world, there’s also another alternative: Use less power. According to some, the degree of waste is so big that it makes investing in energy management look far more viable for fighting global warming than any alternative energy source.
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Creative uses for supposedly disposable household products.
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Sweden's attempts to reduce carbon emissions have put it at the top of the list of countries doing the most to reduce carbon emissions for the second year in row. They have reduced emissions by 9% from 1990 to 2006. This article goes through some of the unique ideas that have allowed Sweden to be such a leader in this field.
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If the utilities do, in fact, finance the replacement of existing meters with those that can provide consumers information about their energy consumption and allow them some control over it, then energy management will become a major conduit in the broader deployment of control systems in U.S. homes.
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A new mixed-use building in Lincoln Square is looking to recycle 50% of the material from the building torn down to make room for its construction.
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Business Week article about the future of home feedback on the amount of energy used by homes and the need for demand response.
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(from the article) "When a group of environmentally concerned friends in San Francisco decided to buy nothing for a year, they unwittingly sparked an international trend."
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Review of three different smart meters specifically and smart meters in general by a writer for the Guardian, UK.
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Every household in the UK will be able to request a free device that shows how much electricity is being used in the home at any one particular moment.
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Despite the overall downturn in the housing and building materials markets, green building materials have been holding up pretty well and staying in demand.
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World Changing background on the basics of feedback monitors and why they are important.
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