Look around your home — what do you think uses the most energy? One of the first things you notice is probably a large-screen TV — they’re more and more common these days. And you know that huge TV is pulling energy. Even if TVs have become a lot more efficient than those lunky
Generally speaking, we compare products when shopping. We look for the cheapest, greenest, most socially responsible options we can find. It’s quite common for us to do this when it comes to food, clothing, electronics, and even cars. However, there’s one huge expense we pay for regularly without even thinking (or hardly thinking), and
Note: while most of this post is relevant to anyone with a home anywhere, it is somewhat focused on UK residents. The cold winds of winter are beginning to take their toll, which is prompting homeowners nationwide to prepare their property for winter. For anyone aiming to winter-proof their home this December, however, the
If you’re voting in the Massachusetts election today or tomorrow, you should be voting for Elizabeth Warren without any hesitation — she’s one of the best politicians I’m aware of. Here’s a quick rundown of how her and her opponent, Scott Brown, differ: Not many politicians are so dedicated to the people as Elizabeth
The Obama campaign just passed along the 12 facts below about Obama. As someone who follows politics quite closely, I think it was a good list to put together. As just noted, there are numerous other cleantech, climate, and other environmental topics Obama has scored big points on, but if you have a ‘broader’
The folks over at HouseTrip, which is a holiday rental site, have taken their expertise and created an infographic showing the top greenest cities in the world. These eco-friendly cites were judged on everything from tree planting to water usage. Six cities where selected, including; London, New York, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. Among the
In the latest example of the widening gap in climate change policies between the USA and Europe, the Government of Norway last week announced the world’s largest new tax on carbon emissions, stating in explicit terms its desire to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate against global warming — just two weeks after the
A new survey of Massachusetts’ clean energy industry reveals green jobs grew 11% since 2011 — ten times faster than job growth in the overall state economy. […]
New Worldwatch Institute report discusses the rise in subsidies for renewable and fossil fuel-based energy production Washington, D.C.—-Total subsidies for renewable energy stood at $66 billion in 2010, but are still dwarfed by the total value of global fossil fuel subsidies estimated at between $775 billion and more than $1 trillion in 2012, according
You might have seen ‘5 DIY Hacks for a Eco-Friendly Bathroom’ recently on Planetsave, which offered some great, easy-to-implement tips for anyone looking to take a few small steps to convert their home into an environmentalist’s dream. But what about when you’re going the whole hog and having full bathroom refurbishment. Here are a
There’s a new lightest material in town. Aerographite, the new material, is a staggering 75 times lighter than Styrofoam. Aerographite is composed of a network of porous carbon tubes that are three-dimensionally interwoven at the nano and micro level. The wonder material weighs just 0.2 milligrams per cubic centimetre. Notably, despite being 75 times lighter than
By Zach Richard, Content Writer at Total Mortgage Services As the dominant species on this planet, human beings owe a duty of care to future generations to preserve and protect our environment to the best of our ability. We understand that it’s tough to make time to save the environment when we hold full time
White LEDs that can be printed and manufactured directly on paper have been developed by researcher Gul Amin from Linköping University. With the development of this new technology, applications as diverse as luminous curtains, bright wallpaper that functions as lighting, self-lit books, etc., are possible. Gul Amin, in his doctoral thesis at the Physical
From recent news reporting a global investment in renewable energy of more than $257 billion, to headlines highlighting green changes implemented by companies across the globe, this past year was a notable era of progress in enhancing the environment’s sustainability. However, as most of us know, there is still much that can be done to further improve environmental health. Focusing on individual action is an effective
One of our multi-year readers (who I’d never been in touch with before) dropped me a music video with a clear environmental / Earth Day theme that he and his band recently created. I love it (love the music… and, of course, the message is good), so thought I’d share it here for Earth Day.
Forty two years ago, environmental protection wasn’t among the main government concerns in the U.S. There wasn’t an agency overseeing industrial activities to measure their environmental impact, and companies were freely dumping toxic waste into our waterways and industrial sites. On April 22, 1970, concerned citizens decided to make a difference and speak up, thus launching the
Of course, you can’t have a holiday without an infographic. So, here’s a nice Earth Day infographic that a friend of the site passed on to me — enjoy! Source: H&R Block
To honor this year’s Earth Day, SnagFilms has brought to you a collection of excellent films that speak towards our need to protect our planet. Check them out right here or at SnagFilms.com, share them with others, and spread their important message on Earth Day 2012! (Films embedded below the list.) 1. I Love
The last few years haven’t been great for clean technology. Implementing cleaner ways of doing things has been going fast but than needed, and even several United Nations global warming summit have failed to come up with ways for industries to limit carbon emissions. While governments haven’t tackled global warming to an ideal or even
Facebook, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Opower, and (to start) 16 US utility companies, have teamed up to make saving energy (and tons of money with that) easier and more fun than ever. Check out the post below from sister site CleanTechnica and the social gaming app to learn more! And start saving
As we approach the quintessential ‘green’ holiday — April 22, Earth Day — one academic study should provide important perspective on the United States role in the world. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a project of the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy, this year ranked the United States 49th in overall
I was taking one last look around GE’s cool annual reports data visualization on Monday and a really interesting and inspiring thing popped out at me — more and more “power” is being put in the hands of individuals (or households) when it comes to energy. Aside from renewable energy (such as decentralized solar) popping
I’ve written in the past about the fact that 100% of the world could be power from clean, renewable energy. But to get to that 100% target, you need a lot of small 100% targets (i.e. 100% renewable energy for Scotland, 100% renewable energy for Tokelau, etc.). Now, a report just out yesterday from
I want to start covering clean energy news much more here on Planetsave, but as they say, “so much to do, so little time.” Also, since we cover that extensively on sister site CleanTechnica, I just sort of assume you all can easily pop over there and subscribe to that page for news on this
Sustainability and eco-friendly products are becoming a big seller in today’s economy thanks to the greater demand by a more informed and concerned customer base. But many who want to switch to a greener way of living don’t understand the use of certain information indicators, such as energy stickers and ecolabels. What Are Ecolabels and
When you’re looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly in your own home, or even just cut costs, one of the first places you should be looking is at your energy bill. It’s no big secret that the better-insulated your home is, the less energy you will have you use to heat it in
http://youtu.be/u7n5FokvQeU “‘People Power’ behind him” is what made it possible for President Obama to veto the Keystone XL pipeline, according to Bills Moyers on Bill Maher’s HBO talkshow. And this backs up what we here on Planetsave have been promoting for a long time now — direct action and people power. Bill Moyers is one
Originally posted on Climate Progress, with only the photo added: by Zachary Rybarczyk Developing countries (including China) are expected to account for more than 90% of global energy growth in the next 30 years. The U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) is addressing the urgent need for sustainable, clean economic growth in these regions
A recent story that celebrates spontaneity, cycling, urban wanderlust, and the wonderful wave of sustainable bike-sharing programs is a welcome happiness to all of us wanting more biking freedoms. From an article found on the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) website: “Bike sharing is like a big advertisement for bicycling,” says Darren Buck, a Virginia Tech (VT) student. “Folks walking by
Curriculum in U.S. schools is often a contentious topic, with various interest groups battling over what material is “right” or “useful” for the nation’s children, and concepts like conservation often get lost in the shuffle. Conservation knowledge is good to have and wise to impart no matter what the political climate or attitude toward
Timber frame houses have a very long history, dating back to Neolithic times and continuing all the way through the present. The craft has been refined over that time, but the principles are the same — using felled trees to their fullest potential to create homes that are durable, economical, sustainable, and beautiful. Unlike
The wide open sky is both an image and a phrase often used to represent freedom, happiness, and a whole host of other positive things. Unfortunately for most of us, we spend the majority of our time under a ceiling instead of under the sky. (Of course, during inclement weather, I’d call that more
This is last week’s news, a bit, but it’s something I’ve been meaning to cover more and haven’t gotten to. So, here’s a quickie on it: The GOP, in the name of “freedom” tried to kill lightbulb standards established and signed into law under George W. Bush (somewhat sucessfully). The GOP framed it as
Here’s a good news story — the Department of Energy (DOE) announced last week that it had reached a national target of getting 600,000 U.S. homes weatherized (including over 125,000 multi-family homes, like apartment buildings)… and the target was reached 3 months early! “The Department reached this major milestone as part of its efforts
A friend of ours and occasional contributor here on Planetsave shared this infographic below with us this week. It’s on home heat loss,.. as you can see. Check it out and save some money by plugging those leaks and containing that heat (CLICK TO ENLARGE)! Infographic via air & water
The Internet uses more electricity than the entire auto industry’s production of cars and trucks combined. IT companies and users need to discover renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to provide electricity for the Internet.
Winter is coming quick and, unfortunately, it’s time to prepare for cold, wet, and more cold. But don’t overthink it, preparing your home for winter is simply a step to saving money, not to mention keeping coal from being burnt for energy. No matter how old, drafty, or even new and well-insulated a house is,
A few weeks ago we were sorely reminded of the extremism of the majority of the current Republican candidates. Among many other alarming things said, Republicans suggested eliminating or privatizing: FEMA, NASA, the EPA, the Federal Labor Relations Board, Medicaid and food stamps. Herman Cain promised not to appoint any Muslims who want to kill Americans to his cabinet. Michele Bachmann supports states’ rights on gay marriage, but also supports a constitutional amendment outlawing it. Rick Santorum wants to “a system of discipline” to “punish” gay soldiers, which suggests that his problem with pornographic Google results is not likely to abate. Tim Pawlenty views Iraq as “one of the shiniest examples of success in the Middle East.”
I have spent hours researching how to turn my community green. I suppose I’m a little too anxious to create change. I went directly for who I should contact locally for changing laws and such. Again, I was reminded that all things take time. One of the first things pretty much every site said about community change was that you should form a group. And it’s true, there is great strength in numbers, so here’s how to go about it.
Top green living stories of the past couple days:
Check out these top green living stories of the past day or so:
Some top green living stories of the last few days:
Our friends at Well Home, a good green company that conducts energy audits, sent over this cool infographic on the energy impact of light bulbs. It’s a fun one. Check it out:
Here’s a great video of DC’s highly successful bike-sharing program by the talented filmmakers at Streetfilms (love those guys and girls). Afterwards, you can check out my ‘daily’ roundup of top green living stories from around the internet.
One of the biggest green living stories of the past several days is one of a a 13-year-old, Aidan Dwyer, who reportedly created and filed a patent for a groundbreaking, super energy-efficient solar panel array setup based on the Fibonacci sequence of some tree branches. The system was supposedly 20% more efficient than traditional, flat solar panel arrays, in general, and 50% more efficient in winter.
Just ran across this great infographic on bicycling facts and the future of bicycling on our sister site sustainablog and, of course, wanted to share it on here. It’s the feature green living “story” of the day. The infographic is from our friends over at Well Home Energy Audit. Check it out and enjoy!
I recently conducted this interview with The Wealth of Nature author John Michael Greer. Some really interesting answers. Happy he took the time to share with us! Here’s the interview:
With the country still deep in the middle of a heat wave, some tips to stay cool and energy efficient.
