I was at this year’s Urban Green Expo in New York and vastly enjoyed William McDonough’s keynote presentation. He is an architect, designer, sustainability expert (from way back), and co-guru of the visionary Cradle to Cradle framework for building and living. McDonough’s talk had several key themes: * there are no wastes, only nutrients; * […]
There is a very good story in the NYT about an initiative being launched today to finance clean-burning cookstoves for the developing world. I have written about the pernicious health impacts of burning biomass in open fires and the burden of black carbon deposition that so badly exacerbates global warming. The NY Times reports “Nearly […]
In an article I wrote for Grist on biochar systems, I noted its virtues: * (potentially) store billions of tons of carbon in soil for centuries; * dramatically reduce agricultural waste, forest debris and some municipal solid waste, thus eliminating the production of greenhouse gases that result from their decomposition; * generate energy to both […]
I want to return to a theme expressed here a number of times: Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas with which we need to concern ourselves. The Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD) reiterated this important message yesterday in this press release announcing their “Fast-Action Climate Mitigation Campaign.” What’s the pitch? “The […]
Among my grandmother’s many expressions, this was one of the better ones. I must’ve taken it very much to heart, as leftovers get eaten in our household and I’m pretty scrupulous about recycling. I’ve written here numerous times about waste management issues, including referencing my modest proposal for managing New York City’s 25,000 tons a […]
Tom Friedman’s latest column, Dreaming the Possible Dream, touches on some companies and their promising technologies that we’ve seen here, namely Calera (cement) and Bloomenergy (fuel cells.) Everybody has seen the hype for Bloomenergy. I sincerely hope they live long and prosper. I quoted Bill McKibben here a while ago in his review of a […]
Here are a couple of updates on progress – or the dearth thereof – at the talks in Copenhagen. The first is from the “LA Times” – Developing nations hold the key to Copenhagen climate agreement. The developed countries have “…ramped up pressure on emerging economies China and India, as well as African and island […]
The good folks at “The Economist” went to the North American Biochar Conference 2009 in August. I’ve been bitten by the biochar bug. See my post here, plus the article I wrote for Grist. The virtues of biochar – A new growth industry? has some good insights, many of which were gleaned from the papers […]
Relative to my post, There Oughta Be a Law, on energy recovery, see this terrific article from Worldwatch, A Bridge to the Renewable Energy Future, fleshing out this “…largely overlooked but potent way to minimize fossil fuel use and the damage it causes.” On the same subject, see also this from earlier in the summer […]
I’m delighted that an article I’ve done on biochar for Grist went “live” today. If you don’t know about the extraordinary potential here, check out the article, Biochar as the new black gold. Even if you do, I think it’s worth a visit. It’s part of a Grist Special Series, What’s the deal with offsets? […]