• Last updated 4/11/08 by stins

An air-source heat pump can provide efficient heating and cooling for your home, especially if you live in a warm climate. When properly installed, an air-source heat pump can deliver one-and-a-half to three times more heat energy to a home than the electrical energy it consumes. This is possible because a heat pump moves heat rather than converting it from a fuel, like in combustion heating systems.   Although air-source heat pumps can be used in nearly all parts of the United States, they do not generally perform well over extended periods of sub-freezing temperatures.... read more

• Last updated 8/29/08 by stins

What is TerraCycle?   TerraCycle is one of the best examples of eco-capitalism in action.  The company was founded in 2001 by two Princeton students, Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer.  They started out with their flagship product, TerraCycle Plant Food, which is a liquid plant food.  The catch, however, was that their product was made entirely from waste (worm poop, as it so happened) and packaged in waste (old soda bottles).   From there, TerraCycle blossomed into the great upcycling company it is today.  They currently take a variety of waste products (think KoolAid containers,... read more

• Last updated 9/23/08 by dana1981

Mercury in light bulbs. Yes, it is true, there is mercury in some of those spiral looking energy saving light bulbs (as well as those long tube like fluorescent bulbs). Typically the spirally, curly bulbs have about 5 milligrams of mercury. Which is about the size of a ball point pen. And generally speaking the "old" fever thermometers contained much higher amounts. People are worried that the breaking and improper disposal of so many bulbs will release so much unwanted mercury back into our environment. And this is true.   The energy saved while using these special... read more

• Last updated 8/17/10 by JenniferChait

  Ocean cruises are not eco-friendly. Green experts, ocean conservation leaders, eco-organizations and past research all pretty much settles on the following - the idea of an eco-friendly cruise is false. Cruise lines significantly contribute to all sorts of environmental problems. For example, GreenYour notes…   The typical ocean cruise ship produces more CO2 emissions per person than any other form of vacation travel, or for that matter any sort of transportation in general. Wastewater from cruise ships,is packed with sewage and icky bacteria that... read more

• Last updated 11/3/11 by Cordelia

  In a kickoff segment, we introduced three types of eco-friendly beauty products: organic, vegan, and natural.   In this article, we go into more detail about natural cosmetics and suggest natural brands and products for the curious or full-on green lifestyle.     Photo by Daniel M. Viero, courtesy of Flickr.com     Here’s the skinny on “natural”: Natural beauty products contain elements and byproducts of elements that occur naturally on our planet or are otherwise “found in nature.” Products that contain artificial, manmade additives are... read more

• Last updated 1/17/11 by teej

The second Tesla Motors showroom officially opened to the public on July 22nd, 2008 at 10 a.m. in Menlo Park, CA,  just a few minutes away from Stanford University and downtown Palo Alto.    With urban chic, leather couches, simple floral arrangements, and lots of natural daylight, the showroom is what we call very sexy.  It's a fitting backdrop for the ever eye-catching Tesla Roadster.          Take a tour with Huddler.com     The... read more

• Last updated 4/8/08 by frank

For more information see: How To Buy A Wind-Electric System   How do residential wind turbines work? A wind turbine, which is installed on top of a tall tower, collects kinetic energy from the wind and converts it to electricity that is compatible with a home's electrical system.   In a normal residential application, a home is served simultaneously by the wind turbine and a local utility. If the wind speeds are below cut-in speed (7-10 mph) there will be no output from the turbine and all of the needed power is purchased from the utility. As wind... read more

• Last updated 4/21/11 by GOLurker

With Earth Day 2011 coming up on Friday, April 22nd, we thought we’d pull up this review of classic Earth Day posters from the past 41 years.   Enjoy! 1970 (Pogo via Walt Kelley) 1971 (Pogo via Walt Kelley) 1982 (via Shigeo Fukuda)   1990 (via markbult) 1991 (via Istvan Orosz) 1992 (via Niklaus Troxler) 1994 (via Encore Design) 1995 (via Paul Rand) 1999 (via pibburns.com) (via Butterfly-Stamps) 2000 (via Bob Masse) See lots more at Red Green and Blue.org read more

• Last updated 9/6/11 by Jeremy Bloom

  Bill McKibben may say he's not going to attack President Obama, but other environmental activists aren't being so shy. At the Huffington Post, actor/director/activist Robert Redford asks, "Is the Obama Administration Putting Corporate Profits Above Public Health?"   One reason I supported President Obama is because he said we must protect clean air, water and lands. But what good is it to say the right thing unless you act on it? Since early August, three administration decisions -- on Arctic drilling, the Keystone XL pipeline... read more

• Last updated 9/12/08 by pottygirl

Toilets account for almost 30% of residential indoor water use in the United States.   Toilets are also a major source of wasted water due to leaks and inefficiency. In a home that was built prior to 1993 it is most likely that the toilet uses 3.5 gallons or more for every single flush (in Dekalb County alone, approx. 165,000 homes were built prior to 1993 – there are approx. 1 Mio. Homes in the Greater Atlanta area that still have old, inefficient toilets in use). Experts say that the minimum needed to meet the basic human needs of drinking, cooking and hygiene is five... read more