$1.2B pledge to developing countries
is mostly forgotten
Guardian (UK) Nov 24, 07 7:45 PM CST
(Newser)
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Several of the world's richest nations have forgotten about a $1.2 billion pledge to help developed countries cope with climate change, the Guardian reports. The group has doled out less than $185 million so far to help them plan for global warming, defend against floods, and boost conservation. "This represents a broken promise on a massive scale and on quite a cynical scale as well," said one analyst.
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Frito-Lay works to turn
a chip plant eco-friendly
New York Times Nov 15, 07 12:12 PM CST
(Newser)
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As consumers look for more eco-friendly products, a Frito-Lay plant in Arizona is working toward ways to turn 500,00 pounds of spuds into environmentally friendly potato chips, the New York Times reports, changing an energy- and water-hogging process into one that uses renewable fuel, solar energy, and recycled water in a “net zero” operation backed by parent PepsiCo.
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House of Commons to vote on outlawing free plastic shopping bags
Independent (UK) Nov 14, 07 5:30 CST
(Newser)
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The ubiquitous free plastic bag will soon be more than London merchants can handle. That's because Council officials yesterday voted to ban London retailers from handing out the free sacks, sending the matter to the House of Commons for a final ruling. The London bill would require shoppers to use sturdy reusable plastic "bags for life" or cotton or string sacks.
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Eco-friendly product features chopstick compartment
Salon Nov 8, 07 12:38 PM CST
(Newser)
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The latest weapon in the fight to save trees? The Chopstick Bra, which offers a handy pouch to slide chopsticks into. Each Japanese citizen goes through 200 pairs of disposable wooden chopsticks in a year—a grand total of 25 billion pairs nationwide. One lingerie company is responding with the green underwear, which comes complete with collapsible chopsticks wearers will have with them wherever they go, Salon reports.
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Polluting businesses told to clean up or get lost in many provinces
Washington Post Oct 6, 07 4:34 PM CDT
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When its lake turned green and sludge poured from taps, the longtime home of China’s chemical industry closed 1,340 polluting factories, becoming the standard-bearer for a green wave now sweeping China, the Washington Post says. For the first time, the central government has given its provinces weapons to fight polluters and has vowed to cut discharges 10% by 2010.
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All organic fertilizers changing the marketplace
CNN Sep 22, 07 4:59 PM CDT
(Newser)
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One company wanting to "make millions while saving the world" is banking on worm poop, using it for eco-friendly fertilizer—though chemical compost still clogs the market, CNN reports. Greenies are boosting the organic fertilizer market by 10% per year, but most homeowners have "failed" the "environmentally responsible" grade, one expert says.
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Watch out evil polluters!
These hot new devices are mean,
lean and very, very green
Popular Science Sep 20, 07 10:46 CDT
(Newser)
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Companies are zeroing in on the emerging eco-market with painfully cool items like a battery-powered scooter from Vectrix, wind-powered tiki torches from Demakersvan, and speakers made from recycled whiskey barrels by Pioneer Electronics. Popular Science 's photo montage of the latest in green technology shows that hip and hippie need no longer be at odds.
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The answer is funding innovations, say writers
New Republic Sep 18, 07 3:48 CDT
(Newser)
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Apocalyptic thinking and small solutions aren’t capable of saving the world in the Inconvenient Truth age ; instead, we need optimism and innovation funding, say New Republic writers Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. Reducing energy consumption, at the root of global warming, is not realistic, they argue.
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Sales up 49% thanks to surge in Mid-West sales
Associated Press Sep 17, 07 5:42 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Hybrid sales skyrocketed 49% in the first half of 2007, thanks to boom in the Midwest. Oklahoma’s 143% increase was the most of any state, but every state except Hawaii saw growth, the AP reports, with 215,997 vehicles registered this year, compared to 144,721 over the same period last year.
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San Francisco garage first devoted to hybrids-only service
Wired Sep 13, 07 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser)
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While auto mechanics nationwide now service hybrid vehicles, San Francisco's Luscious Garage is the country's first shop to work exclusively on environment-friendly cars. "There's a critical mass of hybrids in the Bay Area," owner Carolyn Coquilette told Wired , which reports that nearly 10% of new hybrids registered in 2006 were to owners in and around San Francisco.
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Tokyo cooks up stigma against energy waste
Wall Street Journal Sep 11, 07 4:08 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Japanese are waging a painful war against energy consumption, meeting summer needs not with air-conditioning but with business casual clothing and a good dose of grinning and bearing it. The 2-year-old Cool Biz movement, which aims to keep office temperatures at 82 degrees, took off in earnest this summer, the Wall Street Journal reports.
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Britain's Lightning GTS rips up the road with no gas pains
CNET Sep 10, 07 8:21 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Lightning GTS—a new all-electric sports car—will go from 0 to 60 in four seconds, the car's British manufacturer claims. Part of a coming boom in electric cars (in Europe anyway), the GTS will travel 250 miles on a 10-minute charge and max out at 130 mph. But save up—it should go for about $300,000.
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Reuters Sep 10, 07 6:28 PM CDT
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Dame Anita Roddick, who as founder of the Body Shop championed socially and environmentally responsible business practices, died tonight of a massive brain hemorrhage at age 64. The plucky Brit saw her lone natural-ingredient shop grow into more than 2,000 stores worldwide, and she sold her share of the company to L'Oreal last year.
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Aviation officials absent for the Zephyr's 54-hr flight
BBC Sep 10, 07 11:23 CDT
(Newser)
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A lightweight, solar-powered plane has broken the world record for the longest unmanned flight by a whole day. The Zephyr, built by a British security firm, flew for 54 hours during a test flight, beating the US Air Force's record for a similar vehicle by 24 hours. But it's not official: The air sports federation wasn't notified in time.
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Thanks to subsidies and surplus, going green is paying off
Forbes Sep 8, 07 2:59 PM CDT
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Sunny days are here to stay for solar homes with roof-top panels, Forbes reports. Such green abodes can cover electricity costs in warm months and store enough to sell solar power to the grid for profit. Installation is expensive but viable thanks to government subsidies, especially in California, New Jersey and Tennessee; California offers a 30% tax credit for installing the “photovoltaic” panels.
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