Recycling: this is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately and it’s really bothering me.
I recycle and I am pretty good about it, but what really bothers me is that businesses are not so much into it. Especially big business. Oh, they say they are “green.” Green is the new marketing buzzword, but when it comes down to it the majority of the companies are not!
Today we have a guest blog post by Jeff of Vegetableoilkent, explaining the basics of biodiesel. Thanks to Jeff for an informative post!
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Biodiesel is made from vegetable oil or animal fat and when reacted with methanol and a catalyst, yields biodiesel and glycerin as a by-product. Which, incidently, you can make soap out of.
Sulphur dioxide emissions are eliminated because biodiesel contains no sulphur. Remember the acid rain problem we had killing off the trees and poluting the sea and rivers in the 80's: well that was concidered to be the sulphur dioxide introduced into the air from the exhaust pipes from cars and trucks (aided and abetted by power stations, jet airoplanes etc.) and fueled by petro-diesel which contains sulphur. The only problem was it helped the lubrication of the engines. The solution they came up with was to reduce the sulphur content by half and introduce, yes, you guessed it, biodiesel: 5% of it to make up what was lost. So, if you run a diesel powered car or truck and you run on petro-diesel, which is in most garage forecourt diesel pumps, you are running on biodiesel already! Well 5% of it anyway. ... read more
I’m just minding my own business, and suddenly all these eco-leaders are up in my face telling me to get angry about Global Warming? Bill McKibben -- who never raises his voice -- says I should stop being cynical and start being angry about Global Warming. The ever-methodical League of Conservation Voters emails me to “get angry, and fight this one out!” Even climate scientists, always so calm as they gaze into the abyss, are telling us to get angry. I always figured: if the climate scientists aren’t freakin about Global Warming, then I needn’t be freakin. And, now they’re freakin.... read more
Surprise your sweetie with some green treats this Valentine’s Day! Here are some gift ideas.
Chocolate:
Order some fantastic chocolate from Endangered Species Chocolate. They have chocolate bars, gourmet chocolates, and gift sets. They support a bunch of really important eco-causes, too, so you can feel good about buying your chocolate from them! If you can't order chocolates online in time for Valentine's Day, you can find eco-friendly chocolate at almost any supermarket. I love Newman's Own's peanut butter cups and they're available almost anywhere. (Hint, hint, to my Valentine!)
Our friends at the Environmental Business Cluster of San Jose, California are having some great events coming up over the next few months. Check them out!
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02.28.2012 | EBC Cleantech Mixer 6:00pm – 8:00pm | @ Environmental Business Cluster, San Jose
Cost: Free
http://ebcmixerfeb.eventbrite.com/ Join us at the EBC for a happy hour mixer with your fellow cleantech enthusiasts. Meet EBC companies, network with other startups from around the Silicon Valley and mingle at our incubator. We'd love to meet you!
http://www.environmentalcluster.org/events/ev_2012Q1-VYP.html The EBC and Autodesk invite entrepreneurs to a hands-on, two and a half hour workshop and an Open Lab (one-on-one help) to assist cleantech startups in getting your clean technology to market faster with a Digital Prototype. This Instructor led training, by a certified Autodesk Professional will cover how to: 1) Get a fast start in designing your product with your AutoCAD Inventor Professional software, 2)Easily create a photo-realistic rendering of your CAD model in Autodesk Showcase to help you market your product, 3)Learn Tips and Tricks from an expert in developing a Digital Prototype.
We have a special treat this Monday morning. To get us in the mood for spring, guest blogger Kelly has shared keen and green recipes that you're sure to enjoy!
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With spring almost upon us, it is time to turn our attention towards those delicious recipes with spring greens. The family of vegetables includes the brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage. They are not only fresh, crispy and tasty but full of rich vitamin C, iron, folic acid and fiber which are all good for the body. Spring time makes for a lovely season when one can indulge in breezy salads or lighter, summery recipes. The spring greens can be varied along with other ingredients which can be heavier but here, they have been given a combination with blue cheese. These recipes are great for a lunchtime snack.... read more
One thing that gets me in the mood for the springtime is to start planning our garden while it's still winter. In an effort to make food from our garden and other locally grown food last through the winter, my husband and I took up canning a few years ago. This year, we will be gardening with canning in mind.
We started off with jars and jars of marinara sauce that we made to use up tomatoes – tomatoes basically took over our yard due to using our compost. Then came a variety of salsas where we made good use of some of the delicious peppers in the backyard. Then came jellies, jams, and preserves, thanks to local farms and our very own raspberries!
I began reading up on the types of things you can can and what the difference is between jelly, jam, preserves, etc. Here’s what I learned:
Jelly usually does not contain pieces of fruit, as it is made by cooking fruit juice, sugar, pectin, and lemon juice.... read more
Talk about a cover-up. Just today, the Boston Globe disclosed that electricity giant NStar has been conducting a secret operation that allows their customers to pay more to get their electricity from wind power rather than a carbon-polluting source. Actually, the program, “NStar Green,” isn’t a company secret -- but I hadn’t heard of it, none of my neighbors had, and Brookline Climate Action had to go door-to-door to tell people about it. It might as well be secret.
I don’t think NStar Green is some big, bad greenwashing scheme. NStar probably let the program languish because investing more money in it would yield little profit. And that’s okay, because it’s not NStar’s job make clean energy -- or dirty energy. It’s NStar’s job to make money. A corporation is responsible for making profit, and anything after that is optional as long as it’s legal. ... read more
Every autumn, we spend the day at our favorite orchard and winery, Russell Orchards in Ipswich, Massachusetts. We take a hayride pulled by a tractor that uses their own donut grease as fuel, pick wonderful apples, and taste wine. We have a fabulous time whenever we go and we stock up on their homemade wine. Most of their wines ciders are made from fruit that they grow right on the farm, making the wine a localvore’s dream.
We love the experience of visiting the orchard, but more importantly, I love the idea of drinking locally made wine made of locally grown fruit. It definitely helps to green the wine-drinking experience.... read more
I’m just minding my own business, and suddenly all these eco-leaders are up in my face telling me to get angry about Global Warming? Bill McKibben -- who never raises his voice -- says I should stop being cynical and start being angry about Global Warming. The ever-methodical League of Conservation Voters emails me to “get angry, and fight this one out!” Even climate scientists, always so calm as they gaze into the abyss, are telling us to get angry. I always figured: if the climate scientists aren’t freakin about Global Warming, then I needn’t be freakin. And, now they’re freakin.
Every autumn, we spend the day at our favorite orchard and winery,