Name Name
titledescript
On a visit to Home Depot in Alexandria, VA yesterday, President Obama said retrofitting homes to improve energy efficiency is "sexy". What's sexy about it, he said, is "saving money". Ohhkayyy. We can think of a few sexier things than saving money - like, for example, grilled cheese sandwiches, or clipping our nails - but anyway. Whatever floats your boat, Mr. President.......read more
It’s rare that a 60-page policy paper makes for riveting reading. But a new report, The World Economic Forum’s Energy Vision Update 2010, does exactly that. Bringing together dozens of top thinkers from both the public and private sectors to address the issue of energy efficiency, the overall message is a hopeful one: small changes to the way we use energy can be a fast and......read more
The shift away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy sources is obviously a key aspect of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But, according to a newly released report from the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) of Australia, it's not nearly as important as taking measures to improve energy efficiency. "The International Energy Agency estimates that energy efficiency will deliver 65 per......read more
Italian lighting manafacturer ewo develops and produces advanced lighting systems for public spaces. The T-System, the firm's latest output, is an modular LED street light that consumes only as much energy as the space requires. In Bergamo, Italy, where the first T-System lights were recently installed, officials expect the LED solution to provide 40% energy savings. Oh, also, they look......read more
Home Depot announces LED lightbulb that costs under $20 -- and lasts for 30 years. Seiko Kato's collages are, how you say, AMAZING. Sea Change: Photographers respond to the BP oil spill -- with optimistic pics of sustainable farming, beekeeping, and urban homesteading. No more Mr. Nice Guy: "End of Nature" author Bill McKibben says it's time to get pissed off about climate......read more
Cars have miles-per-gallon ratings, neighborhoods have walkability rankings, and people have carbon footprint calculators. What's up with homes then? Why isn't there be a comparable, affordable way to size up your home's energy performance? Well, now there is. The Department of Energy just released a program called the Home Energy Score that shows the energy efficency of a home on......read more
French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has set a new design standard for home energy monitoring systems. Created for Schneider Electric, Efficient Home debuted at the St-Etienne Design Biennale last week. The quirky collection is conceived as a series of symbols that act like an energy alphabet, complementing each other in various combinations. The objects, which include a temperature sensor,......read more
Believe it or not, Capitol Hill is a hotbed of eco efficiency. The Christmas tree out front of the Capitol is outfitted with energy-saving LED lights. Inside, staffers print with recycled paper and eat with compostable utensils under the glow of eco-friendly CFL lights. Most (but not all) of these green measures can be attributed to Nancy Pelosi's Green the Capitol program, which replaced a......read more
With the failure of the climate bill — and the grim prospects of pushing a new one through anytime soon — it's clear that Congress doesn't view clean energy as a priority. Good thing the military isn't paying attention. In a new NYT op-ed, Thomas Friedman discusses the push to wean the Navy and Marine Corps off of fossil fuels and onto renewable power. Headed by Ray......read more
Attack of the Giant Pink Snails: No, not an invasive exotic species, but a killer public art project in Florida, featuring oversized pink snails made of recycled plastic. Purty birdies: Every night at dusk, a cloud of starlings do the tango in the skies above Sterte, England. Mark Sigler caught them in the act in this lovely one minute video. The Big......read more
