News & commentary on sustainability, activism, urban planning, politics, and our world.
Japan Airlines became the first airline to demonstrate camelina as a successful biofuel this week, as the fuel surpassed traditional 100% Jet-A fuel in efficiency according to pilots. The biofuel blend used, which was 84% camelina, 16% jatropha and less than 1% algae, brings optimism that the airline could be flying full passenger flights using [...]
Australian climate officials are blaming global warming for another summer of record heatwaves, as baked Southern Australians ready for six days in a row of 100-120 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. In Melbourne, rail lines buckled in the heat as trains were canceled citywide, while in Adelaide free water bottles were being handed out to help keep [...]
For nearly a month now, the feisty residents and independent retailers in the Mission District of San Francisco have been abuzz over the national retailer’s bid for a new space at 988 Valencia St. The hippest corner of San Francisco, most widely known for its incredible burritos, vibrant street scene and eclectic culture, has long [...]
Over a billion of our fellow world citizens do not have access to clean drinking water. Over three million people die annually as a result of waterborne diseases, making them the leading cause of death on our planet. Often when clean water is available, it is located miles away and takes hours and much effort to transport. A new tricycle has been invented that could potentially help to solve some of these life-threatening problems.
The Aquaduct is pedal-powered vehicle that transports, filters, and stores water. It is the winning design in the “Innovate or Die” contest, which asked people to create pedal-powered solutions to help combat climate change. The progressive contest was sponsored by Specialized Bicycles, Google and Goodby Silverstein & Partners.
If it’s true that green jobs will be plentiful in coming years, perhaps it will be due to forward-looking initiatives that persist despite the weak economy. A case in point: the $400 million in design, construction and technology contracts that the Los Angeles Community College District’s trustees recently approved, expected to create about 6,000 jobs. [...]
