Environmental Education

Americans Know How To Conserve Energy But Don't

A new poll is shedding light on just how much Americans know about conserving energy at home – and why they still aren’t doing all they can. The poll was recently conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The majority of those polled believe that their personal choices will not add up to a significant energy savings and say they look to the government and larger institutions to execute the bigger energy saving initiatives. In fact, 7% of those surveyed say what they do at home makes no difference at all.

Those surveyed say they understand that driving more fuel efficient cars, carpooling, and evening adding insulation to their homes can result in energy savings but most say those actions are not practical.

The poll also showed that the majority of people polled do not fully understand the government’s Energy Star programs or how to find out how much energy they are actually using at home. For more information, read more on the poll results here.

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Antibacterial Ingredient Declared Toxic – But Not Here!

Canada is about to declare Triclosan, a controversial chemical found in many antibacterial products, as toxic to the environment. Triclosan was created more than 40 years ago as a surgical scrub for hospitals. It is now found in commonly used products like soap, toothpaste, furniture and toys. Several scientific studies have shown the chemical may alter the regulation of hormones in lab animals. The FDA says other studies have shown triclosan may contribute to making bacteria resistant to antibiotics.

Canada.com reports that once Canada makes that declaration, health officials will begin work to phase out triclosan especially in personal care products.

Meantime, half of all liquid hand soaps sold in the U.S. are antibacterial or antimicrobial. The FDA plans on reviewing the safety of triclosan in the coming months. Right now, the FDA says the agency does not have sufficient evidence to recommend changing consumer use of products that contain triclosan.

By |Eco-News, Environmental Education, Head To Toe, Health, In Your Home, Pollution, Toxic Chemicals & Metals|0 Comments
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Green College Campus Will Make Its Own Energy

Image Credit: Cornell University

Cornell University wants to educate students of the future on a campus that produces as much energy as it uses. The University just released plans for a net-zero-energy campus that uses solar and geothermal power and recycles water from storm runoff. Cornell submitted the plans as part of a bid to build a school of applied sciences on New York City’s Roosevelt Island. The campus would also have rain gardens, green roofs filled with vegetation and reforestation to create a small, urban forest. The 150,000 square foot core academic building in Cornell’s plan would be the largest net-zero energy building in the eastern United States.

Cornell is one of twenty universities competing for the tech campus project. The winning school would build on land donated by the city and be awarded 100 million dollars for infrastructure improvements. Cornell is a top contender along with Standford University which also has plans for an eco-friendly campus. The environmentally sustainable campus design includes buildings that achieve LEED platinum status for energy efficiency, low carbon emissions and minimal use of resources. The university will also create a marsh to filter water runoff as well as recycling water from sinks.

Roosevelt Island is becoming known as a leader in green technology. Underground tubes on the island haul trash away instead of garbage trucks. Nearby underwater turbines in the East River power a parking lot and supermarket. Parking sensors also help customers find parking spaces quickly to reduce driving and idling time.

 

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Billion Dollar Green Challenge Saves Energy, Grows Money

October 14, 2011

Universities and colleges across the U.S. are pledging millions of dollars in eco-friendly investments. 32 universities are committing a total of one billion dollars in green revolving funds that will finance energy-efficient upgrades. The Billion Dollar Green Challenge initiative is inspired by the performance of existing green revolving funds which have a median return on investment of 32 percent. The investments are also helping to create jobs in college communities while lowering operating costs on campus.

The green revolving funds finance energy efficient upgrades like lighting and water efficiency retrofits, installing composting equipment and converting tractors to run on bio-fuel. The upgrades all offer a quantifiable monetary saving or return. A portion of the returns from the projects are then reinvested in the fund and used for future green projects.

Harvard, Standford, University of Minnesota, Arizona State University and Stanford University are just some of the schools participating in the Billion Dollar Green Challenge. George Washington University is also taking part in the challenge. The school already committed $2 million dollars to its Green Campus Fund last spring which will count toward the challenge. Part of the fund has already been invested on projects like occupancy sensors for lights and boiler replacements.

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Students Help Companies Save Millions in Energy Costs

78 companies, universities and cities could potentially save more than $650 million dollars in energy costs. The savings have been discovered with the help of Climate Corps, a group of college students trained to uncover efficiencies in lighting, computer equipment and heating and cooling systems. The 98 MBA and MPA students are specially trained by the Environmental Defense Fund to help companies save money, reduce energy and avoid carbon pollution.

Companies including Target, McDonald’s, Facebook and Microsoft took part in the Climate Corps program over the summer. Students work with the companies to find immediate energy savings through equipment changes and upgrades as well as employee engagement campaigns. McDonald’s worked with Climate Corps fellow and University of Michigan MBA candidate Pia Jean Kristiansen. She helped the restaurant chain find creative ways to engage employees in energy efficiency initiatives. The work resulted in an educational video to help employees reduce restaurant energy use by up to ten percent.

Buildings account for 70 percent of electricity consumption and more than a third of carbon pollution in the United States. The Environmental Defense Fund created Climate Corps four years ago to cut carbon pollution by overcoming some of the barriers that prevent organizations from investing in energy efficiency.

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Solar Decathlon Competition Features Net-Zero Energy Homes

Image Credit: Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy

September 26, 2011

19 colleges and universities are competing to design and build the most energy efficient and attractive solar-powered home. Home designs entered in the Solar Decathlon competition must be able to produce as much energy as they use. This year’s contest emphasizes the importance of affordability. The homes are on display at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. where visitors can get an inside look at the innovative designs and get energy saving ideas for their own homes.

One of the entries this year is from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and Caltech. The home’s rooftop solar panels provide enough energy to power the home throughout the year. The solar panels also power an Xbox Kinect motion-sensitive video game that allows homeowners to turn lights and appliances on and off by simply pointing at them. A 3-D camera can also sense where homeowners are in the house and automatically turn lights on and off as they move through the home.

The Solar Decathlon is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and takes place every two years. This year’s competition is being held from now until October 2nd. The goal of the competition is to educate students and the public about how clean energy products can save money and energy. It also gives student unique training to prepare them for the clean-energy workforce.

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Help Your Parks on National Public Lands Day

September 21, 2011

It’s an annual day of caring for the land that we share. National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest, single-day volunteer event for public parks and land. The event will take place across the nation this Saturday, September 24. The yearly tradition started in 1994 with 700 volunteers and has grown every year since. More than 170,000 volunteers in every state removed an estimated 450 tons of trash during National Public Lands Day last year. They also removed about 20,000 pounds of invasive plants and planted an estimated 100,000 trees, shrubs and native plants.

National Public Lands Day keeps the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, often called the ‘tree army’, that worked from 1933 to 1942 to preserve and protect America’s natural heritage. Volunteer events are being held at national parks, coastal areas, city and county parks and neighborhood green spaces. In addition to the time and energy donated to help maintain and preserve public land, the event is also about educating Americans about critical environmental and natural resource issues and the need for shared stewardship of valued land.

At South Mountain Park in Arizona, volunteers will be asked to clean trails and remove graffiti. Scuba divers and kayakers will help remove trash from the water at Lake Pleasant Regional Park. In Seattle, volunteers will be helping with trail construction projects at East Tiger Summit Trail. Also this Saturday, the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees to more than 100 national parks across the country. The park service is also hosting a Worldwide Day of Play that encourages children to get up and get active.

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Robotic Fish Patrol for Pollution

Image Credit: Michigan State University

September 20, 2011

Scientists are working on a high tech way to monitor water quality. The researchers are developing schools of robotic fish that can navigate underwater and patrol for pollution in oceans, lakes and rivers. The fish will carry sensors that record temperature, oxygen and pollutant levels and provide a steady stream of wireless information. The team is also developing fish that can detect harmful microscopic algae that can kill fish and birds and make people sick.

The Michigan State University researchers say the fish could play an important role in Great Lakes restoration efforts and bring environmental monitoring to a whole new level. The robotic fish are also being used at the MSU College of Engineering K-12 outreach program. Researchers have developed a robotic fish-based educational kit for middle and high school students.

Scientific American reports after the Gulf oil spill in 2010, researchers applied for emergency funding to develop a fleet of fish that could detect crude oil in seawater. The fish are equipped with sensors that use lasers to detect the oil. Scientists say the next step is to design fish that can swim deep underwater and against strong currents.

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U.S. Invests Millions In Energy Efficient Education

September 15, 2011

The U.S. is hoping an investment now will save energy in the future. The Department of Energy is awarding more than $30 million dollars to 24 universities to train a new generation of energy efficient experts. The money will go to undergraduate and graduate-level engineering students in manufacturing efficiency. Each of the 24 schools will receive between 200,000 and 300,000 per year for up to 5 years to help students gain practical training in core energy management concepts.

Students will be training to conduct energy assessments and help companies and factories reduce energy waste, save money and become more economically competitive. Engineering students will receive extensive training in energy management and will be put to use working directly with small and medium sized businesses in the surrounding communities.

The grants will allow for the training of 10 to 15 students at each university every year. Each will conduct an estimated 20 energy assessments and perform follow-up reporting, tracking and implementation.

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Facebook Game Turns Trash Into Treasure

Image Credit: Guerillaps

September 12, 2011

A new social game for Facebook is putting the fun into cleaning up trash and recycling. The green themed social game challenges players to find and recycle trash that can be turned into new products. The ‘Trash Tycoon’ game was released by Terracycle and resembles the company’s business model. Terracycle collects post-consumer waste like drink pouches and chip bags and upcycles them into new products including bags, placemats and frames.

In the ‘Trash Tycoon’ game, players collect and recycle trash like glass, plastic and paper that can be turned into eco-friendly products. Players earn game money and points for the amount of waste that they upcycle into products.

The social networking game was created by startup Guerillapps. The company’s CEO, Raviv Turner, says “something as simple as a social game where players can earn points for recycling in the real world is capable of changing people’s behavior for the better.” Guerillapps says it plans to apply Trash Tycoon’s real world approach to other areas like health, fitness and energy.

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