Yes. Good News. There IS some out there. Time to highlight...Environmental Good News to USE.
Research hub for electric cars could lead to energy independence. At the Emerging Issues Forum at N.C. State University last week, the governor said he wants North Carolina to create a new generation of batteries within five years. Fayetteville Observer
Program examines how to make schools greener. The Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community is sponsoring the Green Tools for Green Schools program to show Lexington some low-tech methods to build future green schools and make existing schools greener. Lexington Herald-Leader
Monastery throws switch on green initiatives. With the flip of a switch Sunday, a secluded monastery tucked away in the brush-and-oak-covered canyons north of Escondido's downtown began producing its own energy. San Diego North County Times
Costa Rica aims to be first carbon-neutral nation. One of the smallest countries in the world has a big goal. Costa Rica says it wants to be the first country to become carbon neutral by 2021. But huge challenges lie ahead. Morning Edition
Eco-chic goes beyond organic cotton. Fashion trends come and go, but Shalom Harlow is optimistic the industry's latest interest in all things "green" isn't a passing phase.Associated Press.
Cadbury thinks out of the box with 'eco-egg'. Cadbury Schweppes, which makes half of Britain's Easter eggs, is trialling an unboxed "eco-egg" as part of its efforts to reduce 30% of its carbon emissions by 2020. London Guardian
For E&E, it’s great to be green. E&E’s headquarters has been awarded the highest level of certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, one of only 10 existing buildings in the country and the oldest structure in the world to achieve that status. Buffalo News
Google makes environmental push. Through a string of ambitious initiatives, Google and its philanthropic arm, Google.org, are trying to change the way the world gets and uses energy. Cox News Service.
Lawmakers get on path to greener roads. State lawmakers took a step recently to help New Hampshire be greener. Portsmouth Herald
Business runs on french fried fuel. The exhaust of Hank Esperon's 1985 Chevy Blazer has the faint aroma of french fries. Sometimes, it smells like tortilla chips. Frisco Summit Daily News
Using their bean. A Chicago-area utility will replace thousands of transformers using PCBs or mineral oil with new ones using soybean oil. They expect to reduce carbon emissions by more than 5,500 tons annually. Southtown Star
World's largest marine protected area created in Pacific ocean. The small Pacific Island nation of Kiribati has become a global conservation leader by establishing the world's largest marine protected area - a California-sized ocean wilderness of pristine coral reefs and rich fish populations threatened by over-fishing and climate change. SPX.
San Rafael company tests seafood for mercury. Customers at DeLano's Markets in Marin can enjoy their seafood purchases with the assurance they contain the lowest levels of mercury available in retail outlets today. Marin Independent Journal
Kamuli get energy-saving stoves. Over 80,000 households in Kamuli are to receive energy-saving stoves in a bid to combat the rampant deforestation in the area. Kampala New Vision
City passes legislation to have Staten Island ferries running 'green'. The City Council passed legislation yesterday that would solidify the city's efforts to turn the fleet of orange Staten Island ferries into "green" machines, running on low-sulfur-emission fuel and exhaust-reducing technology. Staten Island Advance
Consumers drive change to hormone-free milk. In the past month, Spartan Stores Inc. and Meijer Inc. in Michigan replaced their store brand with milk labeled "Free of Artificial Growth Hormones." Livingston Community News
Green machine well-oiled in Folsom. Riding California's green wave is a local group of forward-thinking companies whose environmental sustainability is certified. El Dorado Hills Telegraph
Churches embrace eco-friendly Palm Sunday. This year for Palm Sunday, many clergy leaders nationwide are rushing to buy "eco-palms." They are fronds harvested in an ecologically and socially sustainable way. San Mateo County Times
‘Our last, best chance’ to save Puget Sound. All eyes are on the Puget Sound Partnership, the new state agency viewed by many as the last chance for saving Puget Sound. Olympia Olympian
Corporate cafeterias go green. Forget about greasy hamburgers and french fries. Major employers such as Cisco Systems, Dow Chemical and others are overhauling cafeteria fare in a new effort to introduce healthier foods and programs that slash environmental waste. Gannett News Service.
AND FROM THE BLOGS....
From the Ethicurean
My 6-year-old learned her first curse word recently: crap. I’d take more pride in the fact that she lasted six years without learning the word if it weren’t for this: I’m the one who taught it to her.
USFood Policy
You may be surprised that USDA reacted with a record-sized recall, given that officials do not really believe the meat is very dangerous. The Department was caught in a jam created by its own past positions on BSE. USDA says that universal testing of cattle for BSE is economically infeasible and unnecessary, because current practices such as the veterinarian inspection provide assurance that BSE-infected cattle cannot reach the human food supply.
USDA officials knew that, if they failed to handle the Hallmark recall by the book, the public would question their commitment to all of the handling practices required for BSE prevention. It was that bigger threat to public confidence in the national meat supply overall that forced the hands of the USDA officials this week.
From Culinate
A professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley, Pollan does not write about food exclusively, but in recent years he’s focused his efforts in that direction, both with The Omnivore’s Dilemma and a series of articles on food. He’s thus helped galvanize a social movement of individuals who are eager to know more about where their food originates.
Follow the Oil Money
Follow the Oil Money is an interactive tool that tracks the flow of oil money into US politics. Click on the search tools below to find out which companies are pumping their dirty oil money into politics, and who is receiving it.
GreenwashingIndex
Welcome to the Greenwashing Index — home of the world’s first online interactive forum that allows consumers to evaluate real advertisements making environmental claims. "Going green" has become mainstream for businesses large and small — and that’s a good thing. What’s not so great is when businesses make environmental marketing claims that can be misleading.
Inhabitat
Instead of doing the old-fashioned solar power thing, and capturing the sun’s rays as they hit the Earth’s surface, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Osaka University Institute of Laser Engineering is bolding going where no space station has ever gone before - in terms of solar power. Pioneering scientists at Jaxa have found a way to harness solar power even closer to the source- from outer space! The Space Solar Power System (SSPS) technology would capture solar rays in space and transport the energy to be used here on the ground. A single unit placed in space would generate enough energy to power 500,000 homes!