reduce greenhouse gases

Greenpeace grades the greenest electronics

jplatt — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

For the eighth time in the last two years, Greenpeace has ranked electronics manufactuers according to their policies and manufacturing procedures to come up with a list of the "greenest" electronics makers.

Companies were ranked on their efforts to reduce e-waste (including accepting products back from consumers after they've been used), improve the power efficience of their devices, disclose their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals in their products (or come up with a timeline to do so).

Once again, Sony Ericsson topped the list, thanks in no small part to their dropping PVC chemicals from their products and making devices that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements for energy efficiency.

Nokia would have come in first place, but lost a full point in its rankings "for corporate misbehaviour on its take-back and recycling practice."

Out of the 18 manufacturers ranked, Microsoft ranked # 17, mainly for the use of toxic chemicals. Nintendo took the bottom slot, scoring poorly on e-waste and energy efficiency.

High gas prices + greenhouse gases = time for an electric mower

jplatt — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400

With summer in full swing, your lawn growing longer by the minute, and gas prices going sky-high, it might be time to get finally rid of your old, gas-guzzling mowers.

Still not convinced? A recent EPA study might help make that transition even more palatable: gas-powered mowers emit as much pollution as 11 cars (for push mowers) and 34 cars (for riding mowers). Yikes!

Luckily, several new (and old) options exist which will save the average homeowner both money and the hassle of going to the gas station to fill up their lawnmower tank.

1. Go robotic! Two new electric-powered Automowers from Husqvarna offer automated mowing of yards up to half-an-acre in size. They charge in just 45 minutes, and can mow about 800-1300 square feet of lawn per hour. Meanwhile, you can sit back and drink some organic lemonade. (Price: Around $4,000)

2. Go electric! Black & Decker's 24V Cordless Mulching Mower is the first electric mower to gain the coveted ENERGY STAR rating. It charges in about 10 hours, and is intended for yards up to one-third of an acre. (Price: $400-$500)

3. Go old-school! Sometimes the best technology is old technology. The hardware stores in my area can't keep old-fashioned human-powered push mowers in stock. Sure, you have to do the work yourself, but think of it as exercise. (Price: Around $100)

4. Go really old school! Buy a goat and keep it in your yard. Now only will it trim your lawn, you can feed it your garbage! Talk about recycling!

5. Go greener by getting rid of the green! Who needs all of that lawn, anyway? Plant some trees and shrubs and flowers, for crying out loud! Your local birds and insects will love you for it.

Learn to Improve Your Car's Gasoline Efficiency

jplatt — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:56:56 -0400

With gas prices climbing higher and higher, it's ever-more important for everyone (individuals and companies) to get the most bang for their buck -- in other words, to get the best gas mileage from their vehicles.

Want a simple way to do that? Try installing the ScanGuage II from Linear Logic. This tiny device plugs into the onboard diagnostic connector in almost any car or truck and instantly starts calculating all kinds of critical data -- including your exact gas mileage. Knowing your MPG at any point in your trip allows you to adapt your driving methods to improve your overall efficiency. Bingo, you'll be using less gas, saving money, and putting fewer greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

ScanGuage II also tracks a lot of other cool information, such as how much fuel you have used and how much time you have been driving. It's only five inches across, making it easy to install just about anywhere in your vehicle.

I first saw tools like this in the dashboards of hybrid cars, but this is the first time I have seen an equivalent device that can be used in any car or truck at any time. ScanGuage costs just $169.95 (including shipping) -- a bargain at half the price if it teaches you to improve your fuel economy and reduce the number of trips you need to take to the pump.