When choosing a college in the past, most students did not factor in the environmental initiatives taken by their prospective schools, but as this issue becomes more and more vital to our nation’s future, “green” rankings may start to play a larger role in the decision process. I believe that showcasing institutions that are at the forefront of environmental dedication will set the bar for colleges, universities, and even companies across the country. After browsing through the latest issue of Sierra Club’s Green College Guide, I decided to do my own research online and find the schools that are most consistently featured in top “green” college lists provided by companies like Forbes, The Daily Green, The Princeton Review and Grist. After doing my research, I found 5 colleges that were consistently labeled as the “greenest” colleges in the U.S., based on their environmental initiatives. (more…)
Archive for August, 2008
The 5 Colleges at the Forefront of Environmental Dedication
Tuesday, August 26th, 2008Oh no…a $.20 fee for paper or plastic. How about stop offering them?
Monday, August 18th, 2008Seattle has just passed a law that will require convenience, drug and grocery stores to charge $.20 per plastic or paper bag that each shopper needs to carry out his or her groceries. This law will go into effect on January 1, 2009. This is an attempt by the city to encourage people to bring reusable bags when they shop. Residents won’t even have to pay for reusable bags, as the city is offering to provide every household with a couple of free bags. ”The best way to reduce waste is not to create it, and today, we have made that a little easier in Seattle,” said Seattle Mayor, Greg Nickels.
While I do agree that charging a fee for a disposable paper or plastic bag is a good way to encourage people to bring reusable bags when grocery shopping, I do not think it is the best solution. First of all, the city estimates a 50 percent reduction in the use of disposable bags, if a fee was charged for the bags. 360 million disposable bags are used in Seattle every year, which is about 607 bags per person annually and 12 bags per person every week. The petroleum in 14 plastic bags could drive a car (more…)
Under $20k, Over 100 mpg & Over 90 mph…Would you buy this car?
Saturday, August 9th, 2008
The 6 Seat "Air Car"
It’s cheap, it’s fuel-efficient, but just looking at the picture of this car, most of you are probably thinking, no. It’s not exactly the sexiest car on the market and it looks about the size of a go-cart. The car is a compressed air vehicle that Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) is introducing to North America in 2010, and it achieves a fuel economy of 106 mpg. The vehicle is powered by the Compressed Air Engine developed by Motor Development International. Whether the engine uses solely air or a combination of air and fuel, depends on the speed of the car. It would run purely on compressed air at speeds less than 35 mph. Since the car could only go a short distance when using just air, fuel is needed to get the full range. The “air car” is able to reach speeds over 90 mph, seat six people, and it meets all safety standards in the U.S. All very impressive, but is this the best way to reduce our carbon footprint (via transportation)? (more…)