Breakthrough in Biofuels from UCLA Research Team

Researchers in the Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) celebrated another advance in the next generation of biofuels: using bacteria to covert plant matter into isobutanol to be used in car engines at a higher grade than ethanol or alcohol. Under James Liao of UCLA, isobutanol has been produced directly from cellulose for the…

U.S. Senate Rejects Assault on Public Health and Environment

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Senate today rejected a House-passed funding bill that included sweeping attacks on many of the nation’s core environmental and public health programs. The bill—H.R. 1, summarized below—would have blocked the Environmental Protection Agency from cleaning up a variety of dangerous pollutants, saving consumers billions of dollars annually at the gas pump through…

Say Goodbye to Your Drafty Fireplace, and Hello to Energy Efficient Warmth with Morso Wood Stoves

Morso Energy Efficient Wood Stoves has spent 157-years creating timeless, handcrafted Scandinavian-designed wood stoves and fireplace inserts that fuse inspired design with advanced engineering. Nothing less than the best, will work in your home. “Morso now offers direct ordering in Texas,” said US President Craig Shankster. “When you vist Morsona.com click on  Find a Dealer…

Top Ranked States for LEED Green Buildings in 2010 Released

The U.S. Green Building Council recently released its 2010 list of top 10 states for LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita, based on the U.S. 2010 Census information. The District of Columbia leads the nation, with 25 square feet of LEED-certified space per person in 2010, with Nevada being the leading state, with 10.92…

Biodegradable Plastics Becoming More Mainstream

Although the biodegradable plastics (bioplastics) industry has been on the verge of commercial success for years, the quality, price, and availability of such items have been major drawbacks limiting such products to niche markets  until more recently. With increased demands for alternatives to plastics from big time corporations, including Wal-Mart, producers have stepped up to…

Oil Lobbyists to Directly Back Political Candidates

The American Petroleum Institute (API), one of the biggest oil lobbying organizations, recently announced it will start political donations beginning in the second quarter of this year. Among its 400 members are ExxonMobil and Chevron, who spent around $7 million on lobbying efforts alone last year. API has notoriously campaigned against climate legislation, and unfortunately,…

Going Green Saves Hospitals Money

Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently found that implementing eco-friendly practices in hospitals and operating rooms can reduce health care costs. Since the amount of waste and energy consumption generated from hospitals is so massive, second only to the food industry as far as waste goes, the medical industry could make a huge impact on our…