What a week in green lifestyle topics! There are so many things to share, that it was hard to narrow down the list to a handful, but here goes.
Deforestation Victory! Nestlé Will Stop Using Rainforest-Destroying Palm Oil
With a lot of pressure, you really can change the behavior of giants in the food industry. Nestle has agreed after much pressure from Greenpeace and others to stop sourcing their palm oil from suppliers that have connections to deforestation and other non-sustainable practices. As Nestle is one of the worlds largest consumers of palm oil, this is a big deal.
TreeHugger: Pesticide Exposure Linked to Increased Risk of ADHD
I heard this on the local radio as well. If the general health for our kids and families isn’t enough to push towards organics, maybe the results from this new study linking the exposure to organophosphate pesticides as kids to the development of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables and move towards those grown without pesticides such as organics.
Technology Review: Using Ice to Cool Down the Grid
I’ve heard of this approach before, make ice when electric is cheap at night and use it instead of chillers during peak time during the day to save money and shave off the peak load on the utility company. I’m excited to see this being explored at a grander scale than a single company using it for their own buildings. The potential is to save 30 percent on utility fuel consumption (and therefore emissions too) and avoid (or at least delay) the need for constructing new power plants until we have even more efficient and renewable technology available.
TreeHugger: NASA Captures First Photos of Massive ‘Arm’ of Oil Slick (Hundreds of Miles Long)
Photo: NASA, public domain
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the extent to which BP’s Gulf Oil leak is impacting the world. Numerous attempts to reduce the leak seemed to have failed and oil has reached landed and will have a devastating impact on the local environments, the seafood trade and numerous other industries. The oil slick is starting to head to Florida in the Gulf Loop Current – Uh Oh!
Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation Intend to Work Jointly on EV Development, TMC to Invest in Tesla
I can’t wait to see what you get when you take two of the most exciting green car companies and put them together.
Tesla Roadster (or Model-S) + Prius = ?Awesome?
And even better the cars will be made in the USA. I have hope that I may actually see the day when I can afford an all electric car that would fit my family and be fun to drive. Also check out the Tesla Motors press release.
Other ones that didn’t make the list this week:
- Fish-Inspired Wind Farms Are 10x More Powerful
- Solar Powered Trash Can Texts When Full (Video)
- Explained: The Carnot Limit
Happy Greening!
Jon & Alicia
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