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Gleaning crews put sustainability into action, feeding those in need
By Harriet Blake
Fact: America has an abundance of food.
Question: So why does anyone go hungry in this country?
[caption id="attachment_6342" align="alignright" width="272" caption="A potato gleaning in Virginia (Photo: Society of St. Andrew)"]  [/caption]
Armed with this simple thought, the Society of St. Andrew (SOSA) took up the cause of feeding the hungry in 1979 with the idea of gleaning fields for salvageable produce.
“We do this in two says,” says Carol Breitinger, communications director. “We use volunteers in the field for hands-on gleaning, or we send out trucks to pick up surplus crops that farmers can’t use and would just end up in the landfill.”
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Tags: · excess grocery store produce, food banks, food reclamation, food waste, gleaning, gleaning fields, North Carolina, North Texas Food Bank, public service, saving leftover food, Society of St. Andrew, surplus crops, Texas, USDA, Virginia
Federal weatherization funds providing major boost to states
[caption id="attachment_6221" align="alignright" width="271" caption="A field monitor checks a gas meter for leaks. (Photo: Department of Energy)"]  [/caption]
From Green Right Now Reports
Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell announced today that the first installment of $123 million in federal Recovery funds for weatherization will begin to be released Nov. 2, part of $253 million that the state will use for this purpose.
The Governor said the funding represents an unprecedented level of investment that will help to create new, “green” jobs, save money for struggling families, and stimulate local economic activity as weatherization agencies buy required material, vehicles and equipment.
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Tags: · New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Gov. Edward G. Rendell, Texas, weatherization, Weatherization Assistance Program
Renew Blue says Texas site to be first to make fresh water from ocean waves
From Green Right Now Reports
[caption id="attachment_5607" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ocean waves near Freeport, Texas (Photo: National Weather Service)"]  [/caption]
Ocean waves off the coast of Texas may soon provide the first commercial wave power in the US to generate electricity and desalinate water.
Renew Blue Inc. said today that the Texas General Land Office has granted it the first-ever state off-shore wave energy lease. The company said it will use ocean water and waves to produce desalinated water; the first 100 percent fossil-fuel-free bottled water.
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Tags: · Freeport, Houston, Independent Natural Resources Inc., Mark A. Thomas, Minneapolis, Rene Truan, Renew Blue Inc., SEADOG Pump, Texas, Texas General Land Office
Whole Foods Market says it now uses 100 pecent wind energy
September 15th, 2009 · 1 Comment
From Green Right Now Reports
 Whole Foods Market announced today that it purchased 776 million-kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits from wind farms — equal to 100 percent of its electricity use in its North American operations. The company said nearly 90 percent of this year’s purchase will help fund E.ON Climate & Renewables’ recently-completed Texas-based Panther Creek wind farm.
The Panther Creek wind farm iis 50 miles east of Midland in Big Spring, Texas. It began operating in 2008, and its final phase of construction was recently completed. The project is built and operated by EC&R North America, a renewable energy developer headquartered in Chicago, with development offices in Austin and Denver. The remaining RECs come from a number of different wind farms in locations across the U.S. and Canada. The total purchase of 776,115,000 kilowatt hours, the largest to date by a U.S. retailer, was made in partnership with Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy.
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Tags: · Big Spring, Renewable Choice Energy, Texas, Whole Foods Market, Wind Farms
Exxon-Mobil pleads guilty to killing migratory birds in five states
From Green Right Now Reports
Exxon-Mobil Corporation, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Denver to violating the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) in five states during the past five years, the Justice Department announced.
The company has agreed to pay fines and community service payments totaling $600,000 and will implement an environmental compliance plan over the next three years aimed at preventing bird deaths on the company’s facilities in the affected states. According to papers filed in court, the company has already spent over $2.5 million to begin implementation of the plan.
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Tags: · Colorado, Exxon-Mobil, Justice Department, Kansas, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Oklahoma, Protected birds, Texas, Wyoming
First Choice Power Classroom Energy Innovation Grant applications due Sept. 15
IRVING — First Choice Power is accepting online applications for First Choice Power Classroom Energy Innovation Grants until Sept. 15. First Choice Power will award grants to inventive teachers across Texas for original projects that stimulate and inspire young minds to discuss energy and energy-efficiency in the classroom.
“Teachers positively impact their students every year,” said Brian Hayduk, president of First Choice Power. “Energy is a growing issue, and today’s students are the key to its future. Classroom Energy Innovation Grants are one way we are doing our part to help support innovative learning.”
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Tags: · Brian Hayduk, First Choice Power, First Choice Power Classroom Energy Innovation Grants, Texas
Tiny homes getting to be a big deal
By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now
One or two of the seven dwarfs would enjoy these houses, but certainly not all of them, and forget about Snow White. In Peter Pan, the lost boys made such a house for Wendy. And when Alice landed in Wonderland, she too experienced the tiny house phenomenon.
So, now in 2009, what’s the appeal of a home that ranges 100 to 800 square feet? Is there a market for them? Are people really downsizing to this level?
The economy may be one factor, but most folks who are attracted to these miniature homes are seeking a simpler, scaled down lifestyle –one that is kinder to the environment. Such a home uses less energy and takes advantage of renewable resources.
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Tags: · Austin, Boston, Brad Kittel, California, Carbon footprint, Jay Schafer, PlaceTailor Inc., Pratt House, Texas, Tiny Texas Houses, Tumbleweed Tiny Houses, U.S. Green Building Council
Texas governor rejects TV recycling bill
By Harriet Blake
Green Right Now
Texas Gov. Rick Perry surprised environmentalists, among others, when he recently vetoed the TV Take Back Bill (HB 821), would would have allowed Texans to recycle their outdated televisions for free as part of the necessary switch away from analog to digital TV.
It was a defeat for Texas environmentalists who not only had the support of local governments but TV manufacturers as well.
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Tags: · analog TV, computer recycling, digital TV, Electronics, Recycle & Reuse, Texas, Texas Campaign for the Environment, TV Take Back
Click to plant a tree
From Green Right Now Reports
 Odwalla is continuing its successful plant-a-tree program by donating $100,000 worth of trees to be planted in state parks in California, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Utah, Ohio, Texas, Maryland, Michigan and Virginia.
Visitors to www.parkvisitor.com/odwalla can choose their preferred state to receive a tree — no contribution or registration is required. The trees will be used to support important reforestation and planting initiatives across the country.
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Tags: · California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Odwalla, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia
Finding local food can be cruciferous, get help with the NRDC local food finder
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
We all need to start eating closer to home, and with all due respect, I don’t mean down at the corner KFC.
I’m talking about finding fresh, locally grown produce for home cooking. Do we even need to list the reasons? Buying local food cuts down on polluting “food miles”, bypasses refrigeration trucks, supports local farmers and puts nutrient-rich foods on our plates.
But unless you grow a lot of your own food, how can you distinguish what came from your friendly local farmer in Illinois (or Texas or California) from what came from a rain forest-encroaching big-Ag operation 2,000 miles away?
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Tags: · BarbaraKesslerBlog, farmer's market, fruits, gardening, Illinois, Local Food, Organic Food, Texas, Trees/Plants/Yard, Trees/Plants/Yard
Insurance: Make sure you’re covered by green
From Green Right Now Reports
Now you can locate environmentally-friendly auto insurance companies using Blue Haggard, LLC’s web site EcoSmartInsurance.com. The service uses a “good, better, best” scale to help consumers find out if their current auto insurance provider is green. If not, the site offers users options to choose a greener alternative to their current provider.
“The U.S. is behind much of the developed world in choosing eco-friendly auto insurance,” Publisher Michael O’Dell said in a statement. “So this site is a way for the nation’s green consumers to start speaking with their wallets when looking to insure a car.”
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Tags: · Allstate, Eco-smart insurance, Esurance, Geico, Progressive, State Farm, Texas
Wind power growing at gale force in the U.S.
By Barbara Kessler
Green Right Now
The American Wind Energy Association released its annual rankings of industry leaders today, among manufacturers, producers and states with the greatest wind production  capacity.
First the states: Texas leads the nation with the ability to produce 7,118 Megawatts of power, or enough to keep 1.75 million homes in electricity.
It is followed by: Iowa (2,791 Megawatts of wind capacity); California (2,517 Megawatts); Minnesota (1,754 Megawatts); Washington (1,447 Megawatts) and Oregon and Colorado (each with just over 1,000 Megawatts).
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Tags: · American Wind Power Association, California, GE Energy, Horizon-Energias de Portugal, Indiana, Iowa, Iverdrola Renewables, Michigan, MidAmerican Energy, Minnesota, NextEra Energy Resources, Texas, Washington, Wind Power, Wind Turbines
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