(January 26, 2010) Santa Cruz, CA - On January 19th, after more than a year of continuous controversy, the FDA has released a statement naming the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) as a safety risk, allocating $30 million for independent research for a first-time, non-industry-funded study  in an effort to learn more about the health risks associated with BPA.  Bisphenol A is especially prevalent in baby bottles, and while consumer pressure and declining sales of BPA plastics have spurred the six largest, plastic baby bottle manufacturers to voluntarily remove BPA from baby bottles sold in the U.S., the chemical is still widely prevalent in consumer food and beverage containers sold around the world.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, is one of the world’s highest production-volume chemicals, and has been used for 40 years in plastic items such as baby bottles, food and beverage containers, and dental sealants. Independent studies have shown adverse health effects of BPA occur on the brain and reproductive system, as well as create metabolic diseases in laboratory animals.

In the human body, BPA mimics the estrogen hormone, and studies have tied the BPA compound to reproductive abnormalities and the increased risk of both cancer and diabetes. Infants and children are thought to be particularly vulnerable to the BPA compound because their reproductive organs and ability to metabolize chemicals are not fully formed.  In a statement in 2008, the FDA said BPA was safe in materials that come into contact with food, to which  critics accused the agency of using outdated studies that had been sponsored by the chemical industry, so the new cautionary statement by the FDA is a huge step in the right direction of consumer safety over corporate pressure.

There was considerable media coverage of the BPA baby bottle controversy last year. Scientist and expert Frederick vom Saal explains the situation like this: “The Japanese industry voluntarily removed BPA from can linings 10 years ago and thus, were able to reduce exposure to BPA by 50 percent.  Last year, Congress asked companies in the United States to take similar actions; however, companies have made no move toward compliance.”  In spite of this and tarried by pressure from chemical corporation lobbyists, the FDA still has no official plan to ban BPA from consumer goods.

The new FDA position is consistent with that of the National Toxicology Program made two years ago.  To avoid this health risk all together, choose BPA-free plastics, and avoid putting all plastics into the microwave and dishwasher, where they can release dangerous chemicals when heated, or degrade in the heat and excessive moisture.

Safe plastics that use polyethylene (#1, #2, and #4) and polypropylene (#5) require the use of less toxic additives. They also are non-chlorinated. Avoid choosing products that use polyvinyl chloride (#3), polystyrene (#6), and polycarbonate (#7) which typically contains bisphenol A (BPA) and is found in baby bottles and/or sippy cups.

About the author: Elizabeth Borelli is the Founder of Nubius Organics, an eco-conscious mom, and an environmental activist. She began www.nubiusorganics.com to bring her knowledge of safe, healthy alternatives to a greater audience, and to share valuable  information, resources, and green solutions with the public, the media, and parents to be.

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Trees, Water & People and StoveTec are raising money to deliver clean-burning stoves to Haitians in need!

The two organizations have combined resources to get Rocket stoves to Haiti as soon as possible, with the first shipment of 432 stoves arriving tomorrow. These stoves burn up to 70% cleaner than the open fire, substantially reduce deforestation, and provide a healthier environment for cooks and their families. Since the devastating 7.0 earthquake hit two weeks ago, the need for fuel-efficient stoves in Haiti has elevated dramatically. With these stoves, Haitians will be able to sanitize water and provide hot meals to their families in a safe, efficient and healthy manner.

We are pleased to have the UN World Food Program distributing the first shipment of Rocket stoves for Trees, Water & People tomorrow, but we can’t stop there!

We have begun a joint fundraising drive to send a second shipment of StoveTec’s 2-door Charcoal/Firewood hybrid stoves to Haiti. Our goal is to fill a 20 foot container with 1,344 stoves. For only $20, you can provide a full service solution to a family in need, including the stove, transportation, warehousing, as well as stove placement and tracking. Please join us in this important cause! Please visit www.stovetec.net to learn more about StoveTec’s work. For more information about Trees, Water & People please visit www.treeswaterpeople.org.

TO DONATE: https://www.givedirect.org/give/givefrm.asp?CID=11882

Post courtesy of Trees, Water & People

Clean Air Lawn Care to Give Away a Franchise with Opportunity 2010

Fort Collins, CO – Clean Air Lawn Care has officially launched Opportunity 2010, a once in a lifetime opportunity for a deserving individual to win a Clean Air Lawn Care franchise with the tools provided for success.

Clean Air Lawn Care founder and CEO, Kelly Giard, was recently named Entrepreneur Magazine’s Emerging Entrepreneur 2009, an incredible honor and a testament to the changing face of business – a commitment to being green, setting high ethical and environmental standards, and being an example to others. Opportunity 2010 is a way for one entrepreneur to ‘pay it forward’ to another entrepreneur, enabling them to be successful, while spreading the positive model of sustainable business.

Our country is emerging from an economically difficult 2009. There are many hard-working Americans who are currently recovering from unexpected events. At the same time, we are undergoing a climate crisis and a need to re-examine our values as a nation toward living and working sustainably. Opportunity 2010 is designed to give a 2nd chance to someone who has the skills, passion and determination to be successful and do something positive for themselves and their environment, but who may not have the means.

The ideal candidate for Opportunity 2010 will be business-savvy, environmentally minded, and passionate about improving his/her life and the environment in their community. The ideal candidate also will have had a challenging 2009, financially or otherwise. The candidates will be chosen based on an online submission process which will culminate with a public vote among 5 finalists. The winner will be announced March 18 2010.

Opportunity 2010 details, submission form, and contest timeline can be found at: http://www.cleanairlawncare.com/opp2010.html. The deadline for initial submissions is February 5, 2010 at midnight MST. From the initial submissions, 15 semi-finalists will be chosen to submit a video. From these, 5 finalists will be chosen and their videos posted online for a public vote.

About Clean Air Lawn Care, Inc.

The company is the nation’s leading environmentally friendly lawn care service.  It uses electric mowing equipment powered by wind energy overnight and solar energy on the go with its truck mounted solar system.  It also offers organic treatment – fertilization and weed control.  A typical client has an annual contract where Clean Air mows weekly and treats every 6 weeks to deliver a beautifully manicured, lush lawn with the highest regard for personal health and the environment. Currently there are 27 territories across the US from Seattle to San Francisco to Raleigh to Chicago.
www.cleanairlawncare.com

For further information, please contact Kelly Giard, CEO at (888) 969-3669.

__________________

For Immediate Release
Media Release (1 page)

January 18, 2010
CONTACT: Kelly Giard
Clean Air Lawn Care
(888) 969-3669
kelly@cleanairlawncare.com

Attention Writers and Bloggers!

Would you like to have your writing featured on the GenGreen Life Blog?

GenGreen is looking for articles and news stories related to the environmental or LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) community.
If your article or story is chosen, the piece will be featured on The GenGreen Life Blog, GenGreenLife.com and possibly our monthly Greenzine newsletter.

The GenGreen Life Blog features in-house articles, as well as stories contributed by leading individuals and experts in the environmental community. We watched traffic to the blog more than triple in 2009 and are looking to drive more awareness by offering a even more diverse and robust amount of information for our visitors. For established and aspiring writers, GenGreenLife.com wants to give you a new publishing platform that comes with the opportunity to potentially become a regular contributor to GenGreenLife.com. We may also use your articles within our Environment 101 sections of our sites as well as newsletters. If you are selected as a regular contributor, we will post your bio and photo on our site with other information about you or your business.

We are open to using previously published pieces and we welcome our writers to place their contributions used on GenGreen on their own blogs and websites as they desire. We are interested in writing that has a national appeal, but are also interested in local pieces as well, which we can publish specifically for that selected audience.

Note: All requests MUST come from the original creator. We will not republish pieces without a direct request from the original writer.

Please visit here for more information.

In the ongoing battle to improve the way we manage CO2 emissions, some scientists at MIT proposed a unique system that uses solid oxide fuels to produce power from fuel without burning it. Using existing technology, they would be able to provide electricity with zero carbon emissions, at a cost comparable or less than current natural gas plants.

Post-doctoral associate Thomas Adams and Paul I. Barton, the Lammont du Pont Professor of Chemical Engineering joined forces and found a way to combine existing components with under developed technology and shape it into a novel configuration that illicits electricity with zero carbon emissions. It runs on natural gas, which is more environmentally friendly than coal or oil. This system would emit a stream of pure carbon dioxide that could be stored underground using carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

Adams also said that their fuel-cell based system produces clean water that could easily be treated to provide potable water as a side benefit.

Some Clear Obstacles to Success

One challenge is that the duo is not sure if the technology can compete with conventional power plants. The second challenge is their price point is only truly competitive if the government sets a price on the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The current pending legislation on carbon pricing is the Waxman-Markey “American Clean Energy and Security Act” passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in July of this year, through its “cap and trade” provisions. (A corresponding bill has not yet reached the floor of the U.S. Senate.) If this program becomes law, the actual price per ton of carbon emission would vary, determined through the free market.

According to the MITnews, “Natural gas accounts for 22 percent of all U.S. electricity production, and is likely to rise if carbon prices are put into effect.” Carbon legislation makes  the zero emissions technology a more competitive option, as its able to produce electricity from natural gas at a similar price to coal without the side effects.

With some form of carbon pricing (which takes into account the true price exacted on the environment by greenhouse gas emissions), Adams says, their technology can be “competitive at a price point of $15 per metric ton of emitted carbon dioxide.”

And a few more…

Some additional obstacles I see right off are consumption.  If natural gas consumption continues at current rates, there are only 60 years worth of fuel left. That does not seem like an extraordinary amount to work with, and if this technology takes off, won’t we be consuming even more of it at a faster rate?

I am also unsure sure how safe it is to be storing all this carbon underground. What does that do the land and surrounding ecosystems? What are the true ramifications of technology like this?

What are the Predictions?

According to Adams, this new system’s predicted efficiency is so high it beats the life cycle cost of a combined-cycle natural gas plant, even without carbon pricing. The study recently done by Adams and Barton also shows that a very low level of carbon tax ($5 to $10 per ton) would make their technology cheaper than coal plants, which are currently the lowest cost option for electricity generation.

All this is well and good, but there are a lot of “what ifs” that need to come together for this to even be considered viable, or better yet, a good option.

I am still pretty skeptical about this approach to working with natural gas, and I think there are others who may feel the same. This technology may be appropriate if used on a small scale in some specific situations, but as a larger market power producing option for the masses, it doesn’t seem like the best alternative.

Common sense will tell you solar power is difficult to garner once the sun goes down. Well, new California-based company SolarReserve wants to change that by developing technology known as the “holy grail” of solar power – a power plant that continues producing electricity well after the sun has set, 24 hours a day.

The Rice Solar Energy Project (RSEP) created by SolarReserve (run by a team of rocket scientists previously from Rocketdyne) includes plans for a 150-megawatt solar farm that will generate and store up to seven hours’ worth of the sun’s energy in the form of molten salt. The heat from the salt can be released when its cloudy or at night to create steam that drives and electricity-generating turbine, according to the New York Times.

RSEP will be located on a privately owned site in unincorporated eastern Riverside County, California. Land surrounding the project site in the Sonoran Desert east of Palm Springs consists mostly of undeveloped open desert owned by the federal government and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The plant will be capable of producing approximately 450,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of renewable energy annually, with a nominal net generating capacity of 150 megawatts (MW). That is enough to power 100,000 homes per day. RSEP will also be able to “generate steady and uninterrupted power during hours of peak electricity demand,” according to SolarReserve’s license application.

How the Solar Plant Works

The application also states that as many as 17,500 large mirrors — each one 24 feet by 28 feet — will be attached to 12-foot pedestals. The mirrors, called heliostats that concentrate the sun’s heat, will be arrayed in a circle around a 538-foot concrete tower.

Atop the tower will sit a 100-foot receiver filled with 4.4 million gallons of liquid salt. The heliostats will focus the sun on the receiver, heating the salt to 1,050 degrees Fahrenheit. The liquefied salt flows through a steam-generating system to drive the turbine and is returned to the receiver to be heated again.

By using salt for both steam and storage, SolarReserve can generate higher-temperature steam, which will allow the Rice power plant to operate much more efficiently, according to Kevin Smith, SolarReserve’s chief executive. “Consequently, our system can capture three times the energy for the same pound of salt.”

If all goes according to plan, the RESP solar farm will go online in October 2013.

Salt, a New Energy Resource

Who knew salt would be such a viable and practical resource to harness the power of solar-sourced energy? More importantly, this extremely unique approach sounds like an out of the box option, when there is still a very heated debate about oil vs. nuclear vs. wind power vs. everything else.

If this solution can prove an effective model for energy creation, can we can add it for serious consideration into the bigger picture of energy generation? I think its a pretty strong and unique contender for energy on demand. Clean, renewable and reduces carbon impact – ultimately turning the sun into the solution. Their words, not mine, but I couldn’t have said it any better.

Katrina Pfannkuch
Buzzword Communications, LLC

About the author: Katrina Pfannkuch is a writer, Reiki Master and entrepreneur who lives to write and create. She started Buzzword Communications to pursue her passion for excellence in communication and satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit.

Diagram

Ok, think about it for a minute. Would school have been more fun if it was conducted in the tree tops? The kids at the Elleray Preparatory School in Lake District National Park in Windermere, UK will be the first to find out.

The new school was designed and built by Kita Design Company. Individual classrooms were created as a series of self-sufficient pods, each equipped with a set of solar panels used to power the classroom lights. Each pod is comprised of a ribbed timber frame encased with English chestnut shingles that rests on a series of Douglas-fir stilts. The deck that connects the three main classroom pods is made of recycled plastic milk bottles and wood shavings, and will double as an outdoor classroom in the summer.

Why the School is a Cool Eco-Project

The Environmental Assessment Method for Buildings Around the World, BREEAM, has given the building an “excellent” rating based on the recycled, low-impact architecture and design. The heating and cooling systems run on a ground-source heat pump, and the school also collects rainwater to reduce potable water use. Off season, this eco-conscious structure will be used as a gallery and event venue. Now that is out-of-the-box thinking — creating an eco-conscious structure with multiple uses!

Designer Rob Gaukroger waved his fees for the design of the unique school building, and the project took 3 years to complete. He did most of the work himself, along with a small team of eco-passionate helpers.

Eco-Friendly Trends for Building Remodels

Gaukroger also has a few interesting ideas about future trends for green building. He claims , ”Up-cycling is the way forward. There are many buildings from the 60s, 70s and 80s made of concrete that are not considered worth saving. However, with some careful thought, a lot of insulation and some designer flair, these building can be saved from land fill and given a new beginning. By insulating existing concrete buildings on the outside, it creates a thermal mass from the existing concrete structure and completely changes how they react and perform thermally.”

It will be interesting to see how future architects utilize new, creative ways to “update” certain structures, or create fresh designs that truly act as an asset to the environment surrounding  a building or home — whether that is in a city, the county, suburbia etc. Clearly its a unique challenge for builders and architects to remain head of the curve, and continue to meet all aspects of ever-changing consumer and environmental needs.

Katrina Pfannkuch

Buzzword Communications, LLC
About the author: Katrina Pfannkuch is a writer, Reiki Master and entrepreneur who lives to write and create. She started Buzzword Communications to pursue her passion for excellence in communication and satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit.

Thanks to Modern Eco Homes, where this blog entry by Katie Nielsen originally came from, and they reached out to us, wanting to share their findings and learn from yours. Enjoy, and please share your eco holiday finds below in the comments

In 1621, the pilgrims at Plymouth celebrated the ending of a successful growing season with a harvest feast, an event that is generally considered the “First Thanksgiving.” They were joined by several Native Americans who had taught the pilgrims how to harvest foods and survive the harsh winter. The feast included foods locally grown and produced by the pilgrims such as duck, lobster, swan, native berries, boiled pumpkin, squash and a variety of other vegetables.

Jean Leon Gerome Ferris’s iconic painting depicts the first Thanksgiving celebration.

Today’s modern Thanksgiving celebration is a far cry from that first harvest feast where the settlers farmed, hunted, and gathered everything they consumed. Today’s traditional feast is a far more industrialized affair, comprised of pre-packaged foods that likely travel hundreds of miles before it ends up on your table.  In fact, it’s estimated that most of the foods consumed in the U.S. travel more than 1500 miles before being sold to consumers. The ability to shop a season-less global food market may be convenient but our incessant appetites and rapidly expanding food chain is taking its (hefty) toll on the environment primarily because of the immense transportation impacts. We have long forgotten what it’s like to eat as prescribed by Mother Nature, as those very first settlers did.

That’s why this year we’re challenging you to a 100-mile eco Thanksgiving! The traditional holiday for giving thanks presents the perfect opportunity to get back in touch with the original roots of the harvest celebration and make your meal local. That means everything you use to prepare your feast should originate within…you guessed it, 100 miles!

For some, preparing such a feast solely from local ingredients may sound daunting but pulling off a 100-mile Thanksgiving is far easier than you think; you just have to know where to look.

Find a Local Bird

The Turkey

Believe it or not, the traditional Thanksgiving bird is raised in most of the lower 48 states, which means most of us can find a local turkey from a farm within 100 miles. Check out Heritage Foods USA or Local Harvest’s Turkey Search.

Use Locally Grown Produce

Locally-Grown Produce

If you live in New England or Washington, delicious, juicy apples can be purchased from a local apple farm. You can find fresh potatoes if you happen to live in Idaho or leafy greens (think lettuce, arugula, cabbage, etc.) in New Mexico and citrus fruits in Arizona and Florida. Research local produce that’s available near you and incorporate it into your meal. The Natural Resources Defense Council offers an Eat Local search, where you can determine what’s fresh near you depending on the season.

Dairy Products

From milk to cheese and ice cream to top the pie, dairy products can be found at local dairy farms located in most states. Not sure what farms are within 100 miles of you? There are a handful of national dairy chains (such as Winder Farms) or you can contact your local dairy council who can refer you to farms in your area.

The Booze

Wine that perfectly complements dark turkey meat will be easy to find if you’re within 100 miles of Napa Valley. For the rest of us, getting our hands on local spirits may be a bit more challenging but certainly not impossible. DrinkLocalWine.com offers a plethora of info on regional wines throughout the country and the Brewers Association can locate microbreweries in your area. To make your Thanksgiving booze even greener, try finding local organic spirits.

Purchase Local Organic Spirits

The Stuffing

Instead of purchasing this traditional Thanksgiving side dish from the prepackaged box, try making a homemade vegetable stuffing using produce found at a local farmers market. There are more than 4800 farmers’ markets operating throughout the continental United States and chances are, there’s one near you. Local Harvest allows you to easily search for farmers’ markets in your area by zip code.

With few exceptions, everything you need to make your Thanksgiving feast (or acceptable alternatives) can be found within a 100-mile radius. Such exceptions generally include spices and coffee, which for many are fundamental to the quintessential Thanksgiving feast. The November holiday was instated to literally give thanks and celebrate blessings but its true meaning is often overshadowed by the impending and often expected feast that accompanies it. The idea behind the 100-mile Thanksgiving is to prepare and enjoy the celebratory meal while significantly reducing your carbon footprint. We encourage you to try new, scrumptious dishes entirely composed of local ingredients. Your 100-mile feast doesn’t have to be a traditional Thanksgiving – it just has to be one that you can enjoy in the company of your family and friends.

Are you planning a 100-mile Thanksgiving? We want to hear from you! Share your ideas, tips, and tasty recipes using only locally-produced foods in our comment section! We’ll post some of our favorites on our blog. Can’t wait to hear from you!

Most news we hear about cars focuses on the manufacturing or design end of things – meaning how the latest and greatest vehicle is more fuel efficient, faster, greener, more spacious, etc. However, the latest news from the Toyota Prius plant is something completely different altogether. A team of engineers recently devised a new and unique way to green up the inside of their two Toyota City, Japan manufacturing plants, by using genetically engineered flowers to absorb greenhouse gases.

The flowers are specifically engineered to absorb nitrogen oxides and remove heat from the atmosphere. According to Fast Company, “Toyota’s flowers are derivatives of cherry sage and gardenia that effectively absorb nitrogen oxides and remove heat from the atmosphere.” The absorbed gases lower surface temperatures around the factory grounds–which means less energy used on cooling the plant.

What is even more amazing is the unique way the genetically engineered plant actually cleans the air. According to Drive.com, “The sage derivative’s leaves have unique characteristics that absorb harmful gases, while the gardenia’s leaves create water vapor in the air, both which help reduce the surface temperature of the factory surroundings. This reduces the energy needed overall for cooling and produces less carbon dioxide (CO2).”

As one of the most well-known alternative fuel vehicles, the Prius is generally praised for its energy efficient design and is a popular customer favorite. However, Toyota has also received backlash about their manufacturing process being more damaging to the environment than regular vehicle production, especially when it comes to mining the materials for the batteries. Although Toyota admits the process for making the Prius is a bit more CO2 intensive, they insist that the “deficit” was evened out out after the first year of production, and denies these latest actions are an effort to improve their environmental image.

Whatever the motivations reasons behind these genetically engineered flowers, the idea is really interesting and innovative. Perhaps it shows another way other manufacturers can help to do their part in counter-acting the side effects of their production for their workers, as they continue to “green up” their manufacturing processes externally as well.

Katrina Pfannkuch
Buzzword Communications, LLC

About the author: Katrina Pfannkuch is a writer, Reiki Master and entrepreneur who lives to write and create. She started Buzzword Communications to pursue her passion for excellence in communication and satisfy her entrepreneurial spirit.

We love concrete, maybe you don’t know it, but look around. It forms the basis of almost everything built. Think of it as liquid rock. Simply pour it into any shape you want so you can put whatever you want on top of it or underneath. We have been playing around with the stuff since Roman days, where they used it to move water and armies and erect buildings to show their dominance over nature. I have to tell you that my wife, whose Italian grandfather and aunt have made concrete for their entire lives, can make a mean batch. A couple thousand years and not too much has changed, from the concrete’s point of view at least.

Sure, we made it stronger and prettier over time but recently concrete has learned to do more with less. Cement which is the “glue” that binds all the aggregates together turns out to be the problem. Fly ash, a waste product of burning coal in power plants can replace up to 30% of the cement and actually improve the strength of concrete in some applications.  Slag is another waste product, this time from the production of steel that also has been proven to effectively replace some of our old friend cement.

This is a big deal because the biggest problem with concrete is that its production puts at lot of carbon into the air. More specifically, portland cement is made from limestone (CaCO3) which you strip off the carbon (CO2) in coal fired furnaces to produce calcium oxide (CaCO). 5% of all CO2 emissions are from just the making of cement. Those coal fired furnaces (418 lbs. coal per ton of cement) can now be supplemented by burning biomass. Not all carbon is equal. If you mine it and it goes into the atmosphere then you are adding to the problem, if you use waste plant material that will simply decay, that carbon is already in the environment.

These are good tricks, but there are more. Concrete as it turns out not only releases CO2 in its production but over time reabsorbs some of it again. New formulas are being tested that will absorb a lot more, most famously an experiment on the new replacement bridge in the Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Maybe in time an even bigger chunk of carbon could be grabbed out of the sky.

Concrete is a big part of our urban landscape, it absorbs a lot of the heat of the day and makes our urban environment much hotter in the summer. This heat makes us turn up the ac, which uses a lot of energy, which ultimately makes it hotter still. New concrete formulas help alleviate this frustrating cycle. White concrete used for hardscapes reflects a lot more of the sun rather holding that heat, and porous concrete pavers can actually help cool an outdoor space by letting water evaporate.

The next trick is inside. Good engineering is now taking advantage of concrete’s ability to hold heat to make our building more energy efficient. By placing structural walls inside the building’s envelope concrete can regulate indoor temperatures by absorbing heat when the building warms up and releasing it later, when the heat is needed.

andrew michler, leed ap | a smarter building
www.baosol.com