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Bats and Wind Turbines: Caught on Camera
Thermal infrared cameras capture bats flying around wind turbines. Photographs are still frames from the following videos (from left): "A bat repeatedly investigates and briefly lands on the turbine tower while the rotor spins slowly" and "A bat investigates the turbine tower (monopole), showing typical 'touch-and-go' behavior." [Photo credit: http://www.bu.edu/cecb/wind/video/]
A research paper published in the August 26, 2008 issue of the journal Current Biology reports that b...
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A Feel-Good Tale: Terracycle's "Bottle Brigades"
Thought I'd start the week off with reason for optimism: the bold big-think energy of TerraCycle, a start-up that might make a triple-bottom-line capitalist out of an unrepentant marxist.
TerraCycle makes good-quality products with impeccable eco-credentials including naturally derived and nontoxic cleaners, tote bags made from upcycled packaging materials, rain barrels and composters, and lawn & garden products (including, most famously, the company's original product -- plant foods enriche...
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A Consumer's Dilemma
That's a lot of stuff....[Credit: allysonkalea, flickr.com]
It’s a conundrum: I spent all summer working, fretting, and saving to move into a new apartment, so I could stop sleeping on the floor and get my clothes/books/shelves/jewelry/magazines/hair products out of storage (all of which had been put there when an eviction, which was no fault of my own, left me homeless in April). But now that I’ve done it—I’m in that new apartment—I’m plagued by all my stuff.
Possessions have al... -
David Byrne’s NYC Bike Racks. What Shape Would You Choose?
"Ladies Mile," a new bike rack by David Byrne. Photo courtesy of the New York Department of Transporation.
If the work of David Byrne -- artist, musician, bicycling enthusiast -- were to be simply described, it could be said that it possesses a deceptive ease. Or that it often captures an emerging cultural voice. And now -- well, now it's hard as steel.
As of last Friday, nine bike racks of Byrne's design were installed around the city. They are made of the conventional bike-rack tubing, and ... -
Red, Blue & Green: Republicans and Democrats Go Convention Green
With the Republican and Democratic conventions approaching, and candidates airing new ads nearly every day, the primary issues have long since found their place in political conversations: national security, health care, energy. As I've written before, climate change is close to, but not yet on that list.
And so it comes as a welcome relief to find that both parties, now, are entering another race: for the most sustainable convention in their parties' histories.
That bar is, admittedly, somewh... -
When It Comes To Climate Change, Executive Optimism Doesn't Mean Corporate Action
In a recent post to On Earth, Ian Wilker wrote about how the boards of major corporations are creating committees in increasing numbers to address environmental challenges. In the pages of The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere, this news has been greeted as a sure sign of the greening of corporate America.
But I wonder –- do more committees mean more action on behalf of the environment? In other words, do more committees necessarily mean more substance?
The answer? Not necessarily.
According... -
Child Labor + Mercury = Gold?
Thanks to Enviroblog for writing about an AP report on the prevalence of child labor at the hardscrabble, small-scale gold mines of West Africa.
At these camps, the most profitable and common way to separate out gold from the sediment it's found in is to apply mercury, often with bare hands, which amalgamates with gold into solid nuggets. The nuggets are then purified by applying a blowtorch, which vaporizes the mercury.
As you might surmise, the casual handling of mercury -- and breathing ...
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A Phone Call for Climate Change: How To Install Renewable Energy in Your Home
Photo of a field near by father's house in North Salem, NY. Taken by jodimarr @ flickr, used courtesy of Creative Commons license.
My father has a problem. He wants off oil. And he’s willing to make the investment on his house to do it. The thing is, he can’t get anyone to call him back.
At a time when large segments of the American social spectrum -– investors, citizens, even politicians –- are awakening to the reality of climate change, and the pressure of rising fuel costs, here’s... -
Living in the City as a Global Warming Solution
After spending the past two days in NYC, I have to confess: I love this place.
The reasons roll off the tongue: lights, food, diversity. The city is pervaded by a unique sense that anything is possible.
Those who don’t like the city –- and I was one, I admit, for a time –- often cite the fact that it’s crowded and dirty. They prefer a simple place; one that’s clean, one that’s less populated.
More often than not, these aspirations are tied up with ambitions for a small plot of lan... -
The Greening of the Boards
Encouraging news: the Wall Street Journal says that more and more corporate boards have committees tasked with addressing environmental issues, and a steady rise in shareholder activism -- which OnEarth has covered, along with other ways investors are applying some pressure to corporate entities -- is one of the reasons.
If environmental matters are getting attention at the highest levels of the org chart, well, that has to be considered a good thing. It's business, so surely the board-level c...
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