2nd Green Revolution

Five Friday Facts – RMI’s Reinventing Fire

The following five Friday facts come via Rocky Mountain Institute’s Reinventing Fire pamphlet. Despite new technologies, codes, and design strategies, the U.S. building stock is not much more energy efficient than it was twenty-five years ago – it uses 70 percent of the U.S. electricity, half of which is made from coal. Transportation uses 70 [...]

Power Outages Show Weakness of the Grid; Poor Response

On Sunday, the Washington, DC metro region got slammed by 60-70mph winds and heavy rains over a brief period of about 20 minutes. The storms were caused by a cold front moving through the region and bumping up against the record setting heat we’ve had here due to the Bermuda High. The cold and hot air [...]

Walkscore.com, How Walkable Is Your Neighborhood?

A few years ago walkscore.com appeared and urban house hunters, apartment seekers, and walking aficionados rejoiced. Using Google maps to pinpoint locations of homes, condos, apartments, co-ops, and other housing options, the site assigns a numerical value (on a scale of 1-100) based on an address’ proximity to restaurants, entertainment, and other vital resources within [...]

GM Announces Volt Plug-in Hybrid Price

$41,000. That’s the price of the new 2011 GM Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle. That price is also near the National Average Wage Index, so out of reach of most consumers. A $7,500 tax credit can take the price down to a more affordable $33,500. That’s still pricey. However, GM is pushing a leasing program that will [...]

Global Forest Heights Depicted in First-of-Its-Kind Map; Implications for Measuring Carbon

Data from NASA has been used to create the first map that shows the height of forests around the world. This article from NASA’s earth science team lays out the implications for measuring the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and for studying carbon uptake by trees. Scientific interest in the new map goes far beyond [...]