Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to grow, so forests have long been proposed as a way to offset climate change.

But rather than just letting the forest sit there for a hundred or more years, the amount of carbon dioxide taken out of the atmosphere could be quadrupled in 100 years by harvesting regularly and using the wood in place of steel and concrete that devour fossil fuels during manufacturing, producing carbon dioxide.

More new homes now will come with energy labels that estimate monthly energy bills, allowing buyers a different way of shopping for homes. The energy labels have been compared to the miles-per-gallon ratings available for cars, which give insight into a car’s fuel efficiency. Likewise, more builders now will give new-home buyers greater insight into how much the home will cost them in utilities–so they have a better gauge to judge the upkeep costs of a home.

Environmental efficiency has become an increasingly important factor in home buying decisions due to rising energy costs. Energy efficient appliances and energy efficient lighting were “very” or “somewhat” important to a majority of home buyers, and heating and cooling costs were at least “somewhat” important to 88 percent of buyers, according to the 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers by the National Association of REALTORS®.

When EarthWorks Expo www.earthworks2009.com returns for the third year to the Denver Merchandise Mart (Aug. 22-23), it will offer attendees a comprehensive workshop schedule, two keynote presentations and 150 exhibitors showcasing Earth-friendly products and services.

EarthWorks Expo’s 42 workshops—the most in its three-year history--offer attendees in-depth information and experience in a wide range of sustainable-living topics.  “This year, the economy is weighing heavily on everyone’s mind and compounding the challenges we already face,” explains Michael Lindemann, Expo Director.  “Therefore, this year’s workshops will focus more than ever on practical skills and knowledge that our attendees can take home and immediately put to good use.

A partnership of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and FIA Foundation is launching the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) at the upcoming Geneva motor show.

The “50 by 50” effort calls for cars worldwide to be made 50% more fuel efficient by 2050, with interim targets. Even if vehicle kilometers driven double by 2050, efficiency improvements on this scale worldwide would effectively cap emissions of CO2 from cars at current levels, the partners point out. The global vehicle parc is predicted to triple by 2050.The technologies required to improve the efficiency of new cars 30% by 2020 and 50% by 2030, and the efficiency of the global car fleet 50% by 2050, mainly involve incremental change to conventional internal combustion engines and drive systems, along with weight reduction and better aerodynamics, the partnership says.

On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, executives at the Sears Tower announced plans for the most significant sustainable modernization projects of an existing building ever undertaken.

The project will result in energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions to the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, cutting base building electricity use by up to 80% (by way of a combination of energy savings and cogeneration). The energy savings will equal 68 million kilowatt hours annually or 150,000 barrels of oil every year.

June 5th, 2009

A classic pastime and a noble cause are coming together to create an environmentally-friendly stadium for the New York Jets and Giants in the very near future. With the extensive audience that sports events attract,something like this is long overdue.

Our third Green Adventure took place this past weekend, April 4th - April 7th, 2009, at Quail Springs (http://quailsprings.org) and was a huge success!

Sara Laimon, Guzel Gjenasaj and Amy Frame led ten students of Environmental Charter High School. They spent four days learning about permaculture, natural building, and relationship building with community and each other.

Baby Beetles Inspires Mini Boat Powered By Surface Tension

Inspired by the aquatic wriggling of beetle larvae, a University of Pittsburgh research team has designed a propulsion system that strips away paddles, sails, and motors and harnesses the energy within the water's surface. The technique destabilizes the surface tension surrounding the object with an electric pulse and causes the craft to move via the surface's natural pull.