How Green Is Your Workplace?

HOUSTON, Sept. 12, 2011 - American homeowners know how to "Think Green." Whether choosing Energy Star appliances or selecting more energy efficient lighting, millions of people are incorporating energy efficiency into their personal habits and purchasing decisions. Now a leading energy company is encouraging its customers to take those same "green" principles and apply them to their business life as well. MXenergy, a Constellation Company and a leader in the sustainability movement, strives to educate and inform customers about energy efficiency as part of the company's continuing commitment to energy conservation. "All across America we see people working to improve their home energy efficiency," says Marjorie Kass, MXenergy managing director of marketing. "Yet, we are not necessarily seeing those same strides on the corporate front. There are so many relatively simple changes which can have such a dramatic impact on office energy usage." MXenergy "Green Office" Tips Power Down: Check to make sure you are maximizing your computer's energy efficiency settings. Turn off the computer at night or when not in use for long periods of time. Encourage your office to convert to more energy efficient lighting and to turn off lights when not in use. Quit Pushing Paper: When at all possible, "go digital." Eliminate as much printed paper as possible. When it is necessary to print a hard copy, print double-sided and make sure your office is recycling ink and toner cartridges as well as purchasing recycled paper and remanufactured ink and toner. Take A Break: The company break room can be an excellent starting point for a green campaign. If not already in place, ask for recycling containers to be made available. Switch to Fair Trade organic coffee and recyclable or reusable utensils and cups. Encourage the use of non-toxic cleaning supplies. Rather than heading out to lunch or ordering in, bring lunch from home in reusable containers. This not only reduces energy consumption but packaging waste as well. Cut the Travel: Telecommuting, carpooling and video-conferencing are all excellent ways to reduce individual and corporate carbon footprints. According to Treehugger.com, over $8 billion in gas could be saved annually if every car in the U.S. simply added one additional passenger to its commute. "Creating a more eco-friendly work environment doesn't have to be costly or time-intensive," says Kass. "Something as simple as adding a desk plant to improve air quality or choosing to host a meeting via video-conferencing rather than paying for plane travel can make a difference. It isn't about the size of the change, it is simply about making the decision to start the process that is so important."

Melvin Wylie

Penn State's Public Broadcasting Team Joins Expedition Chesapeake

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 12, 2011 - Whitaker Center for Science & the Arts has selected Penn State Public Broadcasting to develop a made-for-television documentary focused on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed as part of the Center's $10 million Expedition Chesapeake initiative. Penn State Public Broadcasting will produce a broadcast documentary as part of Expedition Chesapeake, a multi-media, educational and entertainment experience anchored by a 42-minute giant screen film featuring Animal Planet star Jeff Corwin. The sweeping initiative also includes an online curriculum and travelling, 4-D science exhibit. "Penn State brings a wealth of talent and experience to this effort. We're very excited that the leadership at Penn State Public Broadcasting recognizes the importance of Expedition Chesapeake. The documentary we will produce is a critical element of our goal to engage and educate the 17 million residents of the Bay watershed," said Dr. Michael L. Hanes, President & CEO of Whitaker Center. "This is a welcome addition to our initiative." Penn State Public Broadcasting joins a growing production and development team for the project, led by Emmy winner Jeff Corwin. Corwin hosts two television shows on Animal Planet and has developed a worldwide television audience. He has been described as the world's best-known biologist. "Expedition Chesapeake is a wonderful project and an important one. The goal is to entertain and educate all of the Bay watershed's residents and we're very excited to join this initiative," said Tom Keiter, Director of Creative Development for Penn State Public Broadcasting. "This fits our mission of public service media – looking at issues important to society and using media to engage people in a creative and informative way." The Chesapeake Bay watershed is the largest estuary in the United States and covers 64,000 square miles in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware and Washington, D.C. The educational tools are designed to inform, engage and challenge all citizens in a comfortable and interactive conversation. "The goal is to produce media that promotes an understanding of the importance this watershed has to everyday life, and the impact people have on the Bay watershed each and every day," Keiter said. "We want to educate and inspire people to become more aware of this watershed and the documentary series will be an important part of the overall initiative." Hanes added that Expedition Chesapeake will serve as a model for watersheds around the nation. "We're going to develop a comprehensive, multi-media package of tools designed to both entertain and educate people. Each element of the initiative, from the giant screen film to the travelling science exhibit and documentary project, is designed to help people become more aware of how they can help preserve this vital resource," Hanes said. "It's a great and exciting challenge and Penn State Public Broadcasting is going to play a major role."

Melvin Wylie

20th Episode of GreenNews4u

Welcome to the 20th Episode of GreenNews4U! In this episode I interview Ric Ten with The Tafari Brand. We talk about Organic Clothing, all natural products, what it means to be a Itealist, the meaning of Tafari and much, much more. The Tafari is a casual luxury lifestyle brand which offers products that epitomize an environmentally friendly and universally conscious way of life. Our basis and inspiration is natural creativity which we utilize for spiritual and divine purposes. Our goal is to provide a wide range of high quality garments and products that are representative of natural life and its origins. A complete collection, with authenticity and craftsmanship evident in each item. We are promoting Creation in all of its splendor and glory. And ultimately, the Creator, TAFARI! View their web page here. http://www.archive.org/download/20thEpisodeOfGreennews4u/20thEpisodeOfGreennews4u.mp3

Melvin Wylie

19th Episode of GreenNews4U

Welcome to the 19th Episode of GreenNews4U! In this episode I interview Donna Morton with First Power. We had a great discussion on the Unreasonable Institute, First Power and the First Nations Indian Tribes, Renewables, and much, more. Donna Morton is the CEO and co-founderof First Power she builds the social and economic aspects of projects and builds our diverse partnerships. In 2003 Donna was awarded an Ashoka fellowship and the Women and Spirit of the Crane award for business leadership through her work with the Centre for Integral Economics. She has a more than 20 year track record developing projects, communications and consulting with numerous First Nations and First Nation organizations, large and small businesses, governments and NGO's. Donna is very experienced keynote speaker in Canada and internationally. She was featured as 1 of 30 global leaders who use the power of the market to deliver on the environment in the international TV series - Act for the Planet. View their web page here

Melvin Wylie

Sierra Magazine Announces Top 20 Schools 2011

University programs celebrated for green efforts, sustainable initiatives, and immersive environmental education SAN FRANCISCO - Sierra magazine announces the fifth annual ranking of the nation's "Coolest Schools," a salute to the efforts of U.S. colleges that help solve climate issues and operate sustainably. The cover feature spotlights the schools that are making a difference for the planet, from UC Irvine's energy-efficiency standards to Stanford's commitment to maintaining undeveloped open space to Green Mountain College sourcing nearly half of its energy from, yes, cow manure. "When students take what they've learned in the classroom and proceed to get their hands dirty in the real world, they realize the potential they have to make a difference," said Bob Sipchen, Sierra magazine's editor-in-chief. "We're thrilled to highlight these forward-thinking schools for emphasizing environmental responsibility, and for teaching, inspiring, and empowering students to affect real change." This year's top schools prove that schools of all sizes – the University of Washington has 40,000 students, while College of the Atlantic has 321 – are taking dramatic action to help preserve the planet and its resources. Sierra Magazine's top 20 schools of 2011 are: University of Washington (Seattle, WA) Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT) University of California, San Diego (San Diego, CA) Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC) Stanford University (Stanford, CA) University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA) University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA) University of California, Davis (Davis, CA) Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT) University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH) Appalachian State University (Boone, NC) Colby College (Waterville, ME) Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA) University of California, Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA) University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT) Clark University (Worcester, MA) Cornell University (Ithaca, NY) Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME) University of Maryland (College Park, MD) The University of Washington, in particular, has shown a true commitment to greening its campus and providing students and faculty with departments and programs that focus on environmental responsibility, including the Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest, the Alaska Salmon Program, and the Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health. In addition, UW's campus gets 90% of its energy from hydropower. Sierra also featured the stories of educators and students who are committed to immersive learning, and who take their lessons outside the confines of the classroom and into the real world, to places like Bali in Indonesia, New York's Adirondack Mountains, and Utah's Navajo Nation. According to a 2010 Princeton Review report, 64% of prospective college students take a university's commitment to environmental issues into consideration when deciding where to apply and enroll. Students care deeply about green issues and are attracted to institutions that are working hard to solve environmental problems. The complete rankings, with comprehensive descriptions of each school's environmental efforts, are available online atwww.sierraclub.org/coolschools.

Melvin Wylie

USDA Praised for $100 Million in Wetlands Restoration Funding for Everglades

WASHINGTON - Agriculture Secretary Vilsack's commitment today to invest $100 million through the Wetlands Reserve Program to acquire permanent easements from eligible landowners and assist with wetland restoration on nearly 24,000 acres of agricultural land in the Northern Everglades Watershed is a smart ecological and economic investment, according to a leading conservation group. Environmental Defense Fund also says it demonstrates why maintaining funding for the Wetlands Reserve Program and other USDA conservation programs is critical. . "Involving private landowners in these kinds of landscape-scale efforts is exactly what we need to do if we're going to be effective in accomplishing our most important conservation goals, including healthy ecosystems that provide clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and other public benefits," said Sara Hopper, agricultural policy director for Environmental Defense Fund and a former staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "But we cannot effectively engage private landowners in big initiatives like this one without continued, robust funding for voluntary, incentive-based programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program. It's imperative that Congress not cut funding for these programs in the coming months, as members of the House and Senate continue to look for ways to reduce the federal budget deficit." In June, despite the opposition of more than 50 agricultural and conservation groups, the U.S. House of Representatives approved nearly $1 billion in cuts to USDA conservation programs, including the Wetlands Reserve Program, in the agriculture appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2012. The Senate is expected to develop its version of the appropriations bill this fall, and conservation groups are urging it to reject the House cuts. In addition, the special committee Congress is convening to negotiate a package of longer-term deficit reduction measures could propose additional cuts to USDA's voluntary conservation incentives programs, particularly if members of the committee cannot reach agreement on ways to increase revenue.

Melvin Wylie

New Goodyear Innovation Could Make Tire Pumps Obsolete

Government Grants to Help Quicken Development AKRON, Ohio - The days of manually adding air to under-inflated tires could be a distant memory thanks to a new innovation under development in laboratories at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NYSE: GT). Keeping tires properly inflated doesn't just eliminate the practice of checking a tire's air pressure and finding a tire pump and gauge that works. It also can mean real savings at the fuel pump. Whether you drive a passenger vehicle or a commercial truck, underinflated tires result in between a 2.5 percent and 3.3 percent decrease in fuel mileage, according to government and industry research. At today's prices, that translates to about 12 cents per gallon at the pump. Properly inflated tires also result in lower emissions, longer tire life, enhanced safety and improved vehicle performance. Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) will enable tires to remain inflated at the optimum pressure without the need for any external pumps or electronics. All components of the AMT system, including the miniaturized pump, will be fully contained within the tire. "While the technology is complex, the idea behind the AMT system is relatively simple and powered by the tire itself as it rolls down the road," said Jean-Claude Kihn, Goodyear senior vice president and chief technical officer. "A tire that can maintain its own inflation is something drivers have wanted for many years. Goodyear has taken on this challenge and the progress we have made is very encouraging," said Kihn. "This will become the kind of technological breakthrough that people will wonder how they ever lived without." Goodyear did not provide an estimate as to when this technology would be available at tire retailers, but said the timetable would be accelerated due to recent government research grants in United States and European Union. The United States Department of Energy's Office of Vehicle Technology Wednesday announced it has awarded a $1.5 million grant for research, development and demonstration of the AMT system for commercial truck tires. The grant will be administered by the National Energy Technology Laboratory and work will be conducted at Goodyear's Innovation Center in Akron, Ohio. In July, Goodyear successfully applied for a grant from the Luxemburg government for research and development of an AMT system for consumer tires. That work will be conducted at Goodyear's Innovation Center in Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg. "While similar in concept, there are significant differences in AMT systems for consumer and commercial tires," said Kihn. "The tangible support from both the U.S. and Luxembourg governments underscores the value of these projects and the many positive benefits they can provide drivers around the world." In addition, The DOE's Office of Vehicle Technology today also announced that it will award a $1.5 million grant for a joint project between PPG Industries and Goodyear to improve the rolling resistance and fuel efficiency of tires. The project's objective is to increase average fuel efficiency of passenger vehicle fleets through use of new tread and inner liner technologies. "Advanced technologies that are invisible to the human eye – like those we are working on with PPG – will help to dramatically improve fuel efficiency of tires while maintaining other important qualities such as traction and tread-life," said Kihn.

Melvin Wylie