Researchers at Arizona State Univerity and the University of New Mexico have named a Venezuelan diving beetle Agaporomorphus colberti in honor of the humorist.
One of the outstanding features of the species is the genitalia of the males. “This new species is similar to members of a clade within the genus exemplified by A. knischi…and unique in having similar, extremely complicated male genitalia…”
Bonded Logic in Chandler Arizona has found a way to turn old blue jeans into environmentally safe insulation. This eco-friendly insulation resists microbial growth, contains no formaldehyde, is an LEED eligle product, is Class A fire rated, and is made from recycled blue jeans and denim scraps. Best of all…no itch or skin irritation.
The bad news is Bonded Logic’s Ultra Touch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation is not readily available everywhere yet (Hello, Home Depot? Can you start carrying this product?). The good news is Michigan does have a distributor, Cotton Insulation, Inc, a woman owned and operated business in Comstock Park, MI. Even better news-you can purchase the cotton insulation directly from them. Read the rest of this entry »
[Creative Commons photo by Wolfgang Staudt]
The areas along the river are already suffering from drought, and getting at the resources there uses and pollutes the precious remaining water. Research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography estimates that the river could dry up in as little as 13 years.
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Phoenix is the nation’s fifth most populous metropolis and the biggest U.S. city without a public rail transit system (the city shut down it’s original trolley system 60 years ago). The sprawling metropolitan area has been characterized as “car crazy” and critics suggest ridership will be limited by the areas urban sprawl and grueling summer heat.
The University will buy 46.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits, equivalent to all of its Phoenix campus’ annual consumption and 27% of its more than 200 campuses across the county. It is also enough power to keep the lights, computers, and TVs going in 3,800 American homes for a year or removing the carbon emissions of 5,280 cars.
University of Phoenix is purchasing the credits from the Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility in Washington state through SRP’s EarthWise program.
As a result of the purchase, the University of Phoenix is ranked 7th on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Top 20 College & University Partner List“.
Earlier this year, the Phoenix light rail system and the Arizona Republic teamed up to sponsor a contest promoting light rail safety. To attract entries, which were due Sept. 30, they offered this prize: a year’s worth of free travel on the light rail system, which officially opens on Dec. 26.
Well, 500-plus entries are in, and the promotion organizers are now working to select a winner. (Readers of the Arizona Republic’s Website, azcentral.com, will choose their favorites, and the top nominees will be passed along to Metro officials for a final decision.) While the top pick hasn’t been identified yet, though, some of the bottom ones have.
As college students across the U.S. begin heading back to school, some will be returning to campuses that are greener than most.
According to the Princeton Review’s new Green Ratings for institutions of higher learning, 11 colleges stood out from the national field of 534. All 11 earned a rating of 99, the highest score possible in the Princeton Review’s new tally.
So which schools are tops in all things green?
Across the U.S., researchers, startup companies and investors are exploring the potential of creating large amounts of green, renewable fuel from the humblest of sources: algae.
If you think the energy/food potential for hemp is underutilized, wait’ll you get a gander at algae. This little microorganism really packs a punch.
According to The Book of General Ignorance: Everything You Think You Know is Wrong (2006, Harmony Books) (I highly recommend it, by the way — it’s packed with fascinating information and weird insights), algae breathes out more oxygen than all the world’s land-based plants and trees combined. Certain types of algae also deliver a whopping amount of protein and nutrients per farmed acre (20 times more than soy beans, in the case of spirulina).
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