Many of us have had the experience of breathing in the fumes from lawn mowers, weed trimmers and motor boats. You can smell and see the pollutants from these engines. That will all change soon. Stricter antipollution laws will take effect as soon as 2010 for inboard and outboard boat engines, and 2011 for lawn and garden equipment. Catalytic converters will become standard in these engines. The companies that manufacture these products have resisted the change because it would make these items more expensive.  read more »

It has longed been feared that the introduction of invasive species leads to the extinction of native species. In fact some scientists believe that biological invasions are among the two or three forces driving species into extinction. However, in a new study, ecologist and biologists are report that some invasions are not detrimental, and often do not bring about extinctions. They observed that in New Zealand in fact invasive species can even advance the evolution of new diversity. Invasive species may push native species out of their original habitat.  read more »

With the price of oil climbing continually consumers are obsessing with any idea that will lower their energy bills. Home energy use is one area in which consumers have some control. However, the problem is that there is no way to monitor the amount of energy appliances, TVs, computers, cooling and heating systems actually use. This may all changing the not so foreseeable future. The answer may be home automated networks. This technology would be able to help monitor all of our energy using devices.  read more »

The summer Olympics bring about much excitement around the world. However, who could have forecasted that the Olympics would bring about a plan to reduce air pollution in Beijing. New laws governing the use of cars are expected to take 3 million cars off the road. Cars with odd plates are banned one day the next cars with even numbered plates are banned. This must make one wonder how much more governments could accomplish if they were truly committed to ending air pollution. During the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics moves were made to lower air pollution.  read more »

Awareness of the energy saved by using compact fluorescent bulbs (CFB) instead of the incandescent ones has led to the tremendous increase in the sales of the CFBs. However, because of the mercury contained in these bulbs, consumers experienced difficulties in how to properly dispose of them without creating an environmental hazard. Gratefully Home Depot is coming to the rescue by making recycling somewhat easier. Home Depot will accept these bulbs in all their stores, thereby helping consumers dispose of them properly and with less effort.  read more »

With predictions that gas will soon reach five dollars a gallon, the production of the first hydrogen-powered fuel cell car has caused a stir. Even though, Honda will only produce 200 cars to start with, it has caught the attention of the public. The fuel cells work by combining hydrogen and oxygen from ordinary air to make electricity, which then powers the car. However, there are certain drawbacks that must be conquered before these cars, which according to Honda can get up to 74 miles per gallon, can become the mainstream of American society..  read more »

Once again an invasive specie has made its way into our environment. This time it is the Colorado River that is endangered. The quagga mussel is the culprit. This Eurasian specie of mussel is known for its rapid breeding and has a reputation for bringing about economic and ecological destruction in areas that it inhabits by stripping nutrients and microorganisms from the water. These nutrients and microorganisms are essential for many of the indigenous birds and fish in the Colorado River.  read more »

Once again the Bush administration has tried to evade the harmful effects of global warming. However, the Federal Court's decision has forced the hand of the Bush administration. The released report projected that the poor,and the elderly and communities with outmoded public-health and public-works systems will face increasing risks from global warming.  read more »

The dangers of air pollution to one's health have been widely established. However, a new study now shows that air pollution also increases the risk for deep vein thrombosis, which are blood clots in the leg veins. For some reason, the risks are smaller in women, but for men they can be up to 70% greater, depending on the level of pollution in their community. Since it is difficult to avoid air pollution, a healthy lifestyle is now even more important.

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Los Angeles is considering taking drastic action in trying to avert the possibility of the most severe water shortage in decades. Their solution is to use heavily cleansed sewage to increase the supply of drinking water. Even some former critics of this plan claim that new technological advances will make the water safe for drinking.  read more »

It sounds like a plot from some sci-fi movie. The crows are coming. However, the large increase in the crow population in Japan is causing serious problems. Their nests, which they often build on electric poles, have caused a string of blackouts.The crows in Japan are more aggressive than in the United States, and have been known to attack small children for their food. The explosion of Japan's population of crows has been the growing abundance of garbage. Trying to rid the crows has been a difficult task.  read more »

One of the louder voices pushing green practice from fad to economically sustainable practice and viable ongoing lifestyle is Oakland environmental activist Van Jones.

Seeing a shortage of skilled labor in meeting the demands of eco-conscious alternatives such as the installation of solar panels and working with bamboo, Van Jones has a vision of bringing green change to a broader market while lifting up unskilled laborers by training them meet the needs of this expanding market.  read more »

Climate change, population growth, poverty and the destabilization of our ecosystems are the major issues addressed in a new book, Plan-B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization. Written by Lester Brown, a widely published author on ecology, and the president of Earth Policy Institute, the book provides a detailed and comprehensive overview on our planet's current state. "We are crossing natural thresholds that we cannot see and violating deadlines that we do not recognize," says Brown. "These deadlines are set by nature. Nature is the timekeeper, but we cannot see the clock."  read more »

When we think about wind turbines, we usually think about rural houses far from electrical service, or remote areas with small populations. However, with new technology wind turbines are turning up in populated residential neighborhoods.  read more »

As the world has gotten smaller and the fates of the myriad economics of the world have become inextricably entwined another trend has arisen. More recently we have seen "heightened demands for global corporations to make purchasing, employment, and investment decisions that benefit local communities."

While the views of this article may be naively dialectic and overdrawn (e.g. the arguments for localization are not counter to outsourcing which is one of the more publicized aspects of globalization), the trend towards localization is real nevertheless deserves a closer look.  read more »

Many of us have a drawer or a cabinet filled with paper or plastic bags. The tremendous use of these bags, especially at supermarkets, have signaled an alarm that we can no longer ignore. The disposal of these bags is an environmental nightmare. With this in mind, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels announced a new proposal. Beginning next year shoppers will have to pay a 20-cent fee for every new paper or plastic bag they use to carry away goods from grocery, drug or convenience stores. Shoppers will be encourage to bring their own bags.  read more »

A recent study of over 1200 executives, over a quarter of whom were CEO's, concluded that companies "that have delivered strong share price growth over the past three years are more proactive on corporate sustainability issues than those that have seen their share price stagnate or decline."

While clearly sustainable practice cannot be deemed the cause of share price growth it demonstrates a correlation between responsible corporate stewardship and companies' actual performance performance.  read more »

On Saturday, March 29, citizens around the world turned off their lights for an hour. This green act, Earth Hour, was done in order to demonstrate concern for climate change and energy use. "How did Earth Hour matter?". In retrospect we need to understand the significance of Earth Hour. Although individuals do make a difference, the hour the world turned off their lights did little to eliminate the dangers of carbon emission. However, the political fallout could be much more significant. Politicians respond to pressure, especially if they feel it has popular backing.  read more »

British Sci/Tech site The Register reports that the implications of cocaine use are more dire for the planet than they are for your health or your plans to carry on your life without a criminal record. The method by which cocaine is produced destroys some of the most valuable, biodiverse eco-systems on the planet. To compound matters, the actions of the Colombian government to try to stop cocaine growth are equally damaging.

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Because wolves were once on the verge of extinction they were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park. With the recovery of the wolf population federal protection will end later this month. Therefore, in order to keep track of wolf population a new technology will be introduced. It is called the Howlbox. The Howlbox will emit "wolf howls", that will fool wolves into responding to these calls. With audio software scientists will be able keep track of packs of wolves, as well as individual wolves.  read more »