2nd Green Revolution

Many couples will be doing something such as dinner and a movie to celebrate Valentine’s Day this weekend. Single guys may opt for “Rambotine’s Day” instead, having a few drinks at a friend’s house before eschewing the romantic for the “Rambotastic” by hitting the theater to watch something like Fight Club, Wolfman, or one of the many bloody Rambo series. Of course, should Rambotine’s Day not be an option, Hollywood has made sure that there are plenty of more romantic options. One such film is Valentine’s Day, a star-studded story in which “intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine’s Day”, according to IMDB.

Warner Bros. apparently paid some attention to reducing its carbon footprint while filming the movie. Read the rest of this entry »

In a site visit to IdleAire’s Denver facility last year, we were impressed with the “provider of comprehensive in-cab idle reduction and driver lifestyle services to the long-haul trucking industry.” But the company couldn’t make it through the recession and, as of January 29th, went bankrupt. The company provided a place where truck drivers could park, shut off the engine (along with its noise, fumes and vibration) and still stay warm or cool while having access to the comforts of home. Providing a comfortable place for drivers to rest while reducing pollution from idling trucks, we praised the company for taking a triple bottom line approach to business. But, as they say on their website, the challenges of the recession were too great to overcome: Read the rest of this entry »

The world's largest lithium reserves are under the salt flats in Uyuni, Bolivia.

There’s no shortage of discussion about what the United States should do to wean itself off of oil. Such heavy dependence on one main fuel source to power our transportation systems (and thus keeping our economy humming) means the U.S. is vulnerable to the unpredictable gyrations of oil and gas prices. Aside from those concerns, security risks and political considerations from having to deal with OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries)  and many less than democratic countries are often the cause of much strife. Last but not least are the environmental concerns from relying on a petroleum based economy. Electrification of the transportation sector has been hailed as one of the solutions to our current oil dependence. By switching to electric vehicles, it is argued, we can avoid many of the problems mentioned above. The need for a reliable and renewable electricity source other than coal to charge those cars is one major concern. The batteries needed to power our electric vehicles is another. Those batteries need lithium, and lithium is not so equitably dispersed around the world.  Is there a chance that there will one day be protests against “Big Lithium” or some other mineral instead of big oil? Here are a few facts about lithium today, taken from work by the Electrification Coaltion: Read the rest of this entry »

The United States government announced the recipients of $8 billion in high speed rail stimulus funding today. Three projects will receive the lion’s share of money set aside in last year’s stimulus bill. The projects will be based in California, Illinois, and Florida. According to a press release from The White House, President Obama and Vice-President Biden stated that “the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is awarding $8 billion to states across the country to develop America’s first nationwide program of high-speed intercity passenger rail service.”

The following chart from the Christian Science Monitor via the Associated Press provides a breakdown of the projects receiving more than half a billion dollars: Read the rest of this entry »

Following on the heals of last week’s update about Solar Roadways comes news of an organization called Greenroads that hopes to bring US Green Building Council-like standards to road construction. The USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification represents an industry-wide set of standards for green building. Greenroads aims to develop a list best practices in constructing sustainable roads.

According to an article from Discovery News, roads that meet these standards will provide a wealth of benefits. The aim of Greenroads is to Read the rest of this entry »

A few months ago Solar Roadways was the recipient of extra attention in the blogosphere. 2nd Green Revolution did its part and brought you news of this company as well. All of the attention resulted in a redesigned website with flash animation. The older version of the site (one of which can be seen here) lacked the “Wow” factor that is now a part of the new site.

While the revamped site contains a wealth of information on the benefits of solar roadways in an attractive, easy to access format, there does not seem to be much movement on the development and implementation side. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday’s post about the Chinese automaker BYD’s announcement at the Detroit auto show begs the question about the future of the automobile. What does the coming decade hold in store for the automobile? Share your thoughts by answering the following poll:

(polls)

- Eric Wilson

Borrowing a page from Inhabitat, we at 2nd Green Revolution thought it was time to put our money where our collective mouth is. With that in mind, here are our “green” resolutions for the new year.

Since I started my doctorate last summer, I began taking public transportation more often because of the mass transit pass that is part of my student fees. Like so many “green initiatives” this one saves me money and reduces my energy expenditure. I resolve to continue (and increase) this trend in the new year. Read the rest of this entry »

My mother-in-law recently purchased a 4 door Volkswagen (VW) Jetta TDI clean diesel sedan. After 3,500 mi (~6,000km) I had the opportunity to drive it this past week in the less than ideal conditions of an icy Minnesota winter. Not being a northerner (I hail from sunny Southern California) I found the car to provide a smooth ride on the compacted snow and ice. With a six speed automatic transmission, the car shifts into gear at low RPM, furthering its gas sipping reputation. At highway speeds, the engine runs between 1800 & 2200 RPM, much lower than my four cylinder sedan.

According to VW’s website, the Jetta TDI (which retails for $22,660) has won several awards: Read the rest of this entry »

• I will be smarter than bottled water companies and drink for free what they are trying to sell me. Last year we consumed about 50 billion plastic water bottles. Several bottled water brands use the same H₂0 that’s available from your faucet. Use a water bottle and refill it throughout the day — for free.

• If I can remember to TiVo “Lost,” I can remember to bring my own bags to the grocery store. Plastic bags are made from petroleum and only about 1 percent of the estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags consumed worldwide are recycled each year. Most end up in landfills (where they take perhaps 1000 years to decompose) or in the sea.

• I will take a day off from road rage and take mass transit or car-pool one day a week. If you have public transportation options available to you, try switching to the train or bus one day a week. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transportation use saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline each year, and can reduce household expenses by $6,200. If you don’t live near public transportation, try organizing a once-a-week carpool with your neighbors or coworkers. You’ll save on fuel, tolls, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by removing cars from the road. As a bonus, you’ll gain access to that exclusive carpool lane.

• I Will Connect with Congress. Send your senator or representative a letter that you support green business, clean technology, and action against climate change. Congressional leaders are pretty easy to find these days on the Internet. Congress.org helps you connect. Just type in your zip code and voile!

• I Will Buy in Bulk. This reduces packaging and can make shipping easier and more efficient.

Sources: #1-3, The Daily Green; #4-5, GreenRightNow