Policies and Regulations: Taking a hard look at hydropower reform
Opportunities to increase hydropower production in the U.S. and Canada are aplenty. A recent study by Navigant Consulting Inc. indicates the U.S. has the technical potential to quadruple hydropower capacity.
Visit the original post at: Renewable Energy News – RenewableEnergyWorld.com

The Relative Advantage of Solar

Visit the original post at: Renewable Energy News – RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Can South Africa Catch the North African Wind?
The announcement earlier this year of the renewable energy feed-in-tariff for South Africa was a progressive step by energy policy makers. The value of these tariffs even surpassed the expectations of most stakeholders involved in the renewable energy industry.
Visit the original post at: Renewable Energy News – RenewableEnergyWorld.com

Solar Energy Fights for Roof Space
An increasing problem in today’s crowded buildings is finding the best position to fit solar collectors. The two main forms of collectors found on roofs are for water heating (solar thermal) and photovoltaic (solar electricity). If space is short, how can you decide which of these two technologies gets priority?
Visit the original post at: Renewable Energy News – RenewableEnergyWorld.com

California Green Chemistry
The California Department of Toxic Substances has released a draft of new green chemistry regulations this week, which creates a new statewide process for evaluating the toxicity of chemicals used in consumer products and requires manufacturers to find safe alternatives to those chemicals used in their products. This is similar to other rules California has put out over the years to mandate toxicity evaluations and induce chemical substitution in California products.
Visit the original post at: ENN: Lifestyle

Southern California PlanetFest: The 2nd Annual Vegan Earth Day Event
“PlanetFest”, the 2nd Annual Southern California Vegan Earth Day celebration, occurred last weekend. It was emceed by Bob Linden and sponsored by Go Vegan Radio (www.goveganradio.com) along with The International Fund for Africa (www.ifundafrica.org). The event included a consortium of live musical performances, pro Athletes, Physicians, Health Professionals, Environmentalists, Activists, Chefs, Animal Rescue Groups, Animal Law experts, a diverse mix of local vegan restaurants and eco-oriented product vendors. The event was endorsed by Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and attracted a wide range of concerned citizens, sports fans, health enthusiasts and families seeking family-oriented education and entertainment. PlanetFest relies exclusively on grassroots support to advance eco-conscious, compassionate lifestyles and business practices.
Visit the original post at: ENN: Lifestyle

Bike Transforms Into Shopping Cart, Leaves No Excuses for Driving to the Store

Images via Yanko Design

Riding your bike to the farmer’s market or store rather than driving is a great way to trim down your carbon footprint. But the excuses can still pour forward from reluctant riders — “I don’t want my bike to get stolen while I’m inside,” or “I don’t have baskets on my bike to carry things home,” or “What if I buy too much and can’t fit it on my bike?” A new concept bike that transforms into a shopping cart solves all these concerns and leaves little room for other excuses for driving rather then pedaling to the store…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Cargo Bikes For Business: Do They Make Sense Today?

The cable guys in the Netherlands used to arrive on these huge tandem cargo bikes. They are shown on Transportfiets, an entire website devoted to cargo bikes, found by Kris at No Tech Magazine.… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Adapting To Extreme Weather Impacts – FEMA Flood Hazard Maps Updated, Online, & Free

FEMA Geocoded Flood Map Viewer Interface – Pennsylvania example. Image credit:FEMA

This year’s devastating floods in Nashville Tennessee brought more than just ruined homes and the destruction of historically important musical instruments. The broader meaning was well expressed in a headline published by the Ten…
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Nemesis "Wind-Powered" 100mph Car: Yet Another Update (Video)

Image credit: Zero Carbonista

You know something has gone amiss when someone posts video #12 in a series of 6. But despite reaching speeds of 100mph in his “wind-powered” electric car, wind turbine entrepreneur (and renewable energy millionaire) Dale Vince has clearly had trouble getting the project finished. I reported back in April that he was still tweaking, and I can now report that he is, well, he’s still twea… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Desktop Earth Turns Your Computer Into A Gorgeous Globe

Image via Desktop Earth

A very cool new download puts the whole world right on your desktop and in real time, shows where the sun is rising and setting. Using NASA’s Blue Marble Next and Earth’s City Lights, the download follows the earth’s rotation and can be customized to even follow the way the planet looks as seasons change. Follow the moon, electric lights, or shadows, and track cloud cover, watching the world spin as you work. … Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Will Libraries Turn Into Digital Reading Rooms?

Photo via CCAC North Library

We’re fans of e-readers. They’re a way to dramatically decrease how many trees are used in the production of reading materials, especially text books, magazines and newspapers. But they have their place. While we love e-readers, we love libraries even more. Paper books that are shared over and over again are far greener than an electronic gadget. But, as e-books take over and the e-reader market booms, will libraries start to follow suit? Sony hopes so, with a new program to promote digital reading in libraries…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Report: Forests Key to the Future of Clean Water

Photo via Chi King

A new report by the US Forest Service shows that forests play a vital role in protecting watersheds from the impacts of climate change. After two years of research, Water, Climate Change, and Forests: Watershed Stewardship for a Changing Climate shows that ecosystems that have healthy watersheds can sustain changes and keep ecosystems functioning, especially if they’re from forested areas. So, protecting forests means protecting future water supplies…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger

Report: Forests Key to the Future of Clean Water

Photo via Chi King

A new report by the US Forest Service shows that forests play a vital role in protecting watersheds from the impacts of climate change. After two years of research, Water, Climate Change, and Forests: Watershed Stewardship for a Changing Climate shows that ecosystems that have healthy watersheds can sustain changes and keep ecosystems functioning, especially if they’re from forested areas. So, protecting forests means protecting future water supplies…. Read the full story on TreeHugger
Visit the original post at: TreeHugger