green blog 259 items | updated Jan 31 2012

August Walter Jr., who was tasked with helping lead BP’s plan to cleanup an oil spill off the Gulf Coast, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit that accuses BP of falsifying data to make it look like Mississippi beaches were cleaner than they actually were. The plaintiff says he was fired from his job after telling federal authorities that BP’s $14 billion cleanup efforts had shirked responsibilities on oil debris that had drifted to the coast. The allegedly falsified data was used to convince an assessment team that certain beach areas had been sufficiently “cleaned.” A BP spokesperson says that Walter’s claims are without merit.

The hottest mystery in the environmental arena is who framed climate scientists on the eve of a major international climate conference. For the past few years, many who are pressing the case that human carbon emissions have caused global warming have had to endure the leak of thousands of private e-mails that purportedly go to the integrity of researchers. The New York Times takes a look at speculation on the identity of the leaker, pointing to various clues that suggest an anti-climate-change activist. “It smells a lot like a certain quadrant of the denier community,” commented Kert Davies, the research director of Greenpeace.

Google has released its annual Zeitgeist, a compilation of data about popular search terms, and according to Treehugger, the three most popular environmental topics from the past year are “How to Compost,” “What is Vegan,” and “What Causes Earthquakes.” To mark the end of the year, many environmental websites are doing plenty of seasonal features, from holiday gifts for the philanthropist to the year’s best environmental journalism. Perhaps our favorite is “2011: The Year In Pee And Poop.”

Durbin summit closes with minimal progress on climate change

The international summit on climate change finished its work in Durbin on Sunday, yielding a modest commitment among nations to continue efforts to combat rising emissions in lieu of a sweeping treaty. Under the agreement, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol has been renewed and a $100 billion Green Climate Fund has been established to assist developing countries convert to clean energy sources. The outcome disappointed leading environmental advocates who want legally binding cuts to the emissions of nations. “While governments avoided disaster in Durban, they by no means responded adequately to the mounting threat of climate change,” said Alden Meyer, director of policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “The decisions adopted here fall well short of what is needed.”

A debate on how to apportion BP fines for Deepwater Horizon disaster
A task force created by President Obama in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill has recommended that a “significant portion” of the billions of dollars in fines paid out by BP for the environmental disaster should go to restoring the gulf. The recommendations include projects like conserving habitat, restoring water quality, protecting marine resources, and enhancing community resilience. Currently, legislators are debating what percentage of funds will go into these efforts versus broader economic ones favored by states to do things like rebuild boardwalks and convention centers. Many lawyers representing victims are also looking to score their healthy cut of proceeds too, demanding as much as 6 percent of all judgments and settlements.

Nations meet to discuss climate change

Delegates from 194 nations are meeting this week in Durban, South Africa, to address the global response to climate change. The meeting, known as COP17, comes as the International Energy Agency, says that Earth is on a trajectory to warm by nearly 11 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius) by 2100. Expectations for the conference are fairly modest, and even if there’s consensus, it might not lead to broad action.  After all, the Kyoto Protocol was ratified in 1997 with the support of almost every country except for a few, including Afghanistan, Sudan and the United States. Meanwhile, the next United Nations summit on climate change will take place in Qatar, which has the highest per-capita greenhouse gas emissions in the world.

Brazil deals with ongoing oil spill off coast
Chevron has finally taken responsibility for a massive oil spill off the Brazilian coast. The company’s chief operating officer told reporters that Chevron underestimated the pressure in an underwater reservoir, leading to a leak that began on November 7. Brazil’s National Petroleum Agency estimates that more than 110,000 gallons of oil have already spilled into the Atlantic Ocean and that the leaking hasn’t yet stopped. Brazilian authorities, who rely on  world-famous beaches for tourism, have lashed out at Chevron for not owning up to the incident sooner and being prepared to deal with the spill.

Congress kills plan for National Climate Service
Those who thought it was insane for Congress to block rules proposed by the Agriculture Department that would no longer treat pizza as a vegetable in school lunches, here’s a topper: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration wanted to establish a National Climate Service that would have provided data such as the best times of the year that farmers could plant crops. The new service would have required no new funding. And yet, because of the political climate on climate talk, Congress killed the plan. Speaking of lawmakers, check out this video during a Congressional hearing on Friday about whether to keep the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge off-limits to oil development. Rep. Don Young and historian Douglas Brinkley have a hilariously heated exchange,

How Thanksgiving dinner battled the elements
As Thanksgiving rolls around, consider the small miracles made this year to bring food on the plate. Courtesy of the website, Extreme Thanksgiving from Resource Media, comes this spectacular graphic that demonstrates how weather events such as heavy rains, heat waves, draughts, and a hurricane have interfered with food production throughout the country.

Atmosphere Recovery gets the green for being green
The winners of this year’s Cleantech Open were announced recently as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Hundreds of start-up companies competed for the grand prize of $250,000 in a contest meant to celebrate innovation in environmentally-friendly enterprise. The winner was Atmosphere Recovery, who impressed the judges “with its laser-based gas analyzer system that improves the efficiency of manufacturing processes.” Here’s more information on some of the other finalists working towards a more Green Economy.

Celebrities have their own ideas about how to solve global warming
In this Funny or Die video, Ben Stiller, Matt Damon, Sean Penn and other celebrities hold a meeting to discuss ways to combat climate change. No, the ideas such as a mass hold-your-breath movement aren’t serious, but it’s still good fun. The ideas are presented to the Clinton Foundation Celebrity Division.

Are corporations wasting recycling opportunities?
Today is “America Recycles Day,” but not everyone in the environmentally-conscious community is celebrating. On Tree Hugger, Lloyd Alter argues that large corporations have been promoting the need to recycle for a half century, but quietly making actions that are counter to the movement. For instance, recently, Coca-Cola dissuaded the Grand Canyon from imposing a ban on the sale of disposable water bottles at the park and pressured the producers of "American Idol" into disassociating itself from a campaign against disposable plastics. Arguing that the holiday’s name should be changed to “Zero Waste Day,” Alter also presents this graphic that shows recycling may be headed in the wrong direction.

Heather Rogers; Message in a bottle/via

By Eriq Gardner

Tar sands project gets reviewed amid protests
The Obama administration is set to make a key decision whether to approve a $7 billion project that carries oil extracted from Canadian tar sands along a 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline to Oklahoma. Obama says he will personally make the decision, relying upon a recommendation from the State Department, which has opened an investigation into undue influence on policy makers and possible conflicts of interest. About 12,000 concerned citizens gathered at the White House on Sunday to protest potential approval, including a NASA scientists who believes that if the pipeline were to be approved, it would be “game over for the climate.”

The world’s water crisis may be solvable, say scientists
According to a report in the journal, Water International, there’s enough water to solve shortages in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and double food production in the coming decades. The problem has been making efficient use of key rivers across Africa, which the head scientist for agricultural research group CGIAR argues is a “political challenge, not a resource concern.”

Oceans are trawled for trash
The European Union  has launched an innovative project to solve the problem of waste material thrown in oceans: Fishermen are being paid to fish out trash, haul it back to land, where it can be sold to recycling companies. The project has recently expanded and may do something about the estimated 250 billion tons of dissolved plastic in the Mediterranean. Paying fisherman to do something other than bottom see trawling could also help threatened biological diversity in the oceans, recently the subject of a marine science expedition.

Climate change is costly and politically unpopular
A new study appearing in Health Affairs reveals that climate change-related natural disasters has caused more than $14 billion in additional health care costs in the United States. The report says that the health care system absorbed 760,000 visits to hospitals and doctors, including 1,689 premature deaths. Few politicians have made the health care case in enacting policies that control climate change, but there’s potential. Already, 77 percent of Americans believe the U.S. needs to take the lead in adopting clean energy policies, according to a new study.

Picture of the week: A flying rhino
The World Wildlife Fund has since 2003 been trying to increase the number of critically endangered black rhinos in South Africa. Via the Grist, here’s a photograph of their work showing one rhino being transported by air to a safer habitat.

(Photo by http://www.greenrenaissance.co.za/ for the World Wildlife Fund)

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Unleaded only, please
Treehugger reports on the positive results of a decades-long effort to get leaded gasoline banned worldwide. The global phaseout of leaded gasoline, which poses health risks including brain damage, is nearly complete. The only holdouts? Countries with totalitarian regimes like North Korea and Myanmar.

Texas drought effects felt in global economy
Texas has suffered from catastrophic drought this year, and the effects on the economy reach beyond the state. The impact on crops and livestock has impacted global prices, according to The New York Times. Scientists also warn that climate change could lead to more frequent and severe droughts.

Solar is going mainstream -- and affordable
If you've been hesitant to consider solar power because of the cost, think again. Growing interest and creative financing have helped lower the costs of solar energy, dropping the price of solar panels by two-thirds. USA Today notes that the affordability of solar power still depends on subsidies and tax breaks, but for homeowners looking to go green, solar is becoming an easier option.

Worldwide forest pandemic traced to California
Scientists traced a fungus causing a deadly epidemic for the world's trees to cypress trees transplanted from their native habitat in California. But it's not just about the fungus, the Bay Area Citizen notes; the effect of transplanting the trees in a slightly different climate, which weakened them and made them susceptible to a previously benign fungus, can be linked to the effects of climate change. It's a possibility that could spell trouble for the world's forests.

Three-eyed fish found
Yes, "The Simpsons" totally called this one. A group of fishermen in Argentina, fishing in a lake near a nuclear power plant, caught a three-eyed fish. Treehugger reports that the lake serves as a resevoir for the nuclear facility, and that residents had been concerned about the effects.

By Eriq Gardner

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Our lifetime will get unsafely hot without action
Two new research papers in the Nature journal warn that unless emissions of greenhouse gases are substantially reduced in the coming decades, the average temperature of the planet is likely to exceed a 2-degrees-Celsius rise. Reuters reports that’s the maximum “safe” limit set by industrialized nations in 2009. The scientists conclude that by 2030 – many of our lifetimes – large parts of the globe could begin experiencing extreme events like heatwaves. Other recent studies, even one partly funded by the conservative Koch brothers, says pretty much the same thing.

Airlines caught between a rock and a hard Republican place
The New York Times reports that lawmakers in the House of Representatives just passed “one of the stranger bills” ever to be considered by Congress. The European Union has told American airline carriers that all flights landing at EU airports must stick to emissions limits or incur penalties for producing emissions beyond their limit. Many House Republicans don’t like this measure, so they’ve approved a bill that makes it illegal for American airline carriers to participate in the EU cap and trade system.

How much wood does a chopstick chop?
China’s slow embrace of recyclable chopsticks could be costing a lot of trees. How much? According to statistics from the nation’s national forest bureau, each year about 3.8 million trees are used to produce 57 billion disposable pairs of chopsticks. The New York Times reports some activists in Asia are trying to raise awareness of the issue. Meanwhile, on a separate front, Treehugger shares details about the heroic efforts of one Johnny Appleseed from Baltimore who has personally planted nearly 14,000 trees in public parks and on sidewalks throughout the city.

Halloween Brings Scary Overpopulation Concerns
A milestone this month, as Planet Earth welcomes its 7 billionth person into existence. The United Nations says this baby will be born on Oct. 31, and in preparation, many are considering the world’s ever-more-strained resources. In particular, water usage and nutritious foods are in short supply, particularly in the poorest nations.

The iPod of Thermostats Is Coming
Speaking of milestones, this week marks the 10-year anniversary of the iPod, and if you’re wondering what the inventor of the gadget (sorry, not Steve Jobs) is up to in a time when global temperature levels continue to grow more dangerous, the guy is developing a new thermostat. Fast Company reports that Tony Fadell is now working on a device that makes home-energy management sexy. Here’s the video showing Fadell’s latest invention:

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Citizen testing finds radiation in Tokyo
After the Fukushima meltdown, Japan's authorities told citizens there was no danger in Tokyo, 160 miles away from the plant. But not everyone was convinced, The New York Times reports. Citizens working with a nuclear research facility conducted testing around Tokyo and found more than 20 hotspots around the city.

Lake Erie sees worst toxic algae bloom in decades
Treehugger reports on NASA images that show green scum on Lake Erie. The green in the images is actually the worst toxic algae bloom the lake has experienced since the 1950s and 60s. Those blooms had subsided after limits were put on phosphorus inputs into the lake.

Obama administration sued over ozone rules
Five health and environmental groups are suing the Obama administration for rejecting stricter standards for ozone pollution. According to The New York Times, the groups say that Obama's refusal to adopt the new standards is illegal.

Reducing your energy? Facebook has an app for that
Facebook has partnered with Opower and the National Resources Defense Council to build a social energy app that will let you compare your energy usage to the national average and others using the app. The app is expected to launch early next year, according to CNET.

And the award for least green town goes to...
Hull, Wisc., is seeking to ban walking and biking, Treehugger reports. The move comes in response to concerns about road safety, and requires cyclists and runners or walkers to register their travel plans with the town or bans them from the road.

Got a story you think we need to cover? Shoot us an email at feedback@current.com, subject line ATTN: Weekly Planet.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Possible conflict of interest in pipeline review
The State Department has allowed a company with financial ties to Keystone XL Pipeline operator TransCanada to conduct an environmental review of the project. The New York Times reports that Cardno Entrix was hired at TransCanada's recommendation. It's not uncommon for government agencies to outsource environmental impact studies or for companies to be involved in assigning the studies, due to limited federal resources, but legal experts told the Times they were surprised the State Department was not more circumspect about the potential for real and perceived conflicts of interest on such a large and controversial project.

Farmers saving wildlife in Namibia
In Namibia, farmers are taking part in an experiment to save wildlife. Conservation has been turned over to farmers and others who live on the land, forming "communal conservancies," according to NPR. Conservancies control the wildlife in their boundaries, taking a cut of tourist income, operating campsites and helping smooth the way as people adapt to a new way of interacting with wildlife.

Will the FDA act on antibiotic resistance?
Treehugger takes a look at the FDA's draft guidelines for antibiotic use in livestock. The guidelines come after concerns about the overuse of medically significant antibiotics that can lead to drug-resistant illnesses. However, there is no timeline set and the guidelines are unenforceable.

Airlines consider the feasibility of biofuel
Given the amount of fuel required to keep an increasing number of passengers in the air, airlines have been investigating options for biofuels. The New York Times notes that although advances have been made in efficiency of biofuels, airlines still face obstacles including competitive pricing and issues with supply.

Europeans consider climate change a bigger issue than the economic crisis
Unlike their U.S. counterparts, Europeans rank climate change as a greater concern than the economic crisis. Treehugger covers a new poll that finds Europeans rank climate change as the second biggest problem facing the world, coming in right after poverty.

Global energy usage to double by 2035
JanforGore shared a story from Circle of Blue who report that global energy usage is projected to double by 2035, with half the projected increase coming from China and India. When it comes to energy sources, fossil fuels are projected to continue to dominate, and the report notes that although renewable energy is projected to be the fastest-growing source, it won't be enough to offset global greenhouse gas emissions.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Panel recommending extreme climate fixes, just in case
A bipartisan panel of scientists, ex-government officials and national security experts is recommending we look into extreme engineering techniques to to reverse climate change, The New York Times reports. Members said they hoped that such extreme engineering techniques, which include scattering particles in the air to mimic the cooling effect of volcanoes or stationing orbiting mirrors in space to reflect sunlight, would never be needed. But in its report, to be released on Tuesday, the panel said it is time to begin researching and testing such ideas in case “the climate system reaches a ‘tipping point’ and swift remedial action is required.

Obama Administration OK's Arctic drilling leases
JanforGore shares a story from the Wall Street Journal, which reports the Obama administration is "moving forward with oil-drilling leases off the coast of Alaska issued by the Bush administration in 2008, a victory for oil companies in the battle over Arctic Ocean drilling."

Meanwhile, Sarkozy bans fracking in France
France will maintain a ban on fracking until there is proof that shale gas exploration won’t harm the environment or “massacre” the landscape, President Nicolas Sarkozy said, BusinessWeek reports. “Development of hydrocarbon resources underground is strategic for our country but not at any price,” Sarkozy said.

Republican upping criticism on Solyndra, similar spending
Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), who chairs an energy and commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations, originally supported the program when Congress created it. Now he says, "I think the administration is putting taxpayers' money at risk in areas that are not creating jobs," NPR's "All Things Considered" reports. He still doesn't like the idea of government putting taxpayers on the line for other ventures. "We can't compete with China to make solar panels and wind turbines," Stearns says.

Emails reveal excessive chumminess with TransCanada on pipeline
The New York Times reports a State Department official provided Fourth of July party invitations, subtle coaching and cheerleading, and inside information about Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s meetings to a Washington lobbyist for a Canadian company seeking permission from the department to build a pipeline that would carry crude from the oil sands of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.

Fossil fuel subsidies up by $110 billion over last year, to $409 billion
The Hill reports that global fossil fuel consumption subsidies rose in 2010 despite a pledge by G-20 nations to take steps to reduce them in coming years, according to a new analysis. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated Tuesday that subsidies that artificially lower fuel prices reached $409 billion in 2010, an increase of almost $110 billion above 2009 levels.

Congressman tracking 'anti-environment' votes by 112th Congress
Our boss wrote yesterday about a new, searchable database unveiled by Rep. Henry Waxman that reveals “anti-environment votes by the 112th Congress. The database details the 125 votes taken to date by the House that undermine the protection of the environment.” Check out the database here.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

2010: Worst year ever for carbon dioxide
The year 2010 can go on the books as the worst for the atmosphere, with 36.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere. While many industrialized nations may have made cuts to their emissions, the growth of developing countries offset those efforts, according to Discovery News. Oh, and speaking of records we shouldn't be proud of setting? On a person by person basis, the U.S. still leads the world in carbon dioxide emissions.

Oil and gas industry overstates jobs
The standing rationale for the tax breaks and regulatory benefits afforded to the oil and gas industry is the jobs they bring to the country. Not so fast. Treehugger reports on a new study has found the oil and gas industry has been inflating its jobs numbers. Not only has the industry claimed more jobs than actually created, a significant percentage of those reported are minimum-wage jobs at gas stations. Hardly a reason to turn our back on alternative-energy funding in the name of job creation.

Climate change altering Mt. Everest
If you're brave enough to summit Mt. Everest, you may find the mountain much less icy than you might expected. The Guardian reports that locals have already noticed glacial melting is changing the landscape. The melting ice comes with significant risk, from glacial lakes overflowing and destabalizing the mountain to a changing landscape that is more challenging for guides to navigate.

Climate change drove key events in human evolution
Science Daily reports that researchers have found evidence that climate change drove key events in humanity's evolution. But none of the past periods of climate fluctuation are similar to the climate change we're experiencing now, which raises the question of how humanity will deal with this period of change.

T-shirts made of trees?
Cotton may be comfortable to wear, but growing it can be devastating to the environment. But what about using cellulose from trees? Treehugger notes that with sustainable management, forests could provide enough fiber to clothe many without competing with land needed to grow food. Rayon also gets bonus points for being better suited to hot climates because it traps less body heat than other fibers.

Got a story you think we need to cover? Shoot us an email at feedback@current.com, subject line ATTN: Weekly Planet.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet. Here's some news you shouldn't miss.

Catastrophic flooding in Pakistan
Treehugger rounds up some of the news on the devasting floods to hit southern Pakistan, the worst flooding to strike the country in living memory. So far, 1.8 million people have been driven from their homes, and 223 have been killed.

Solyndra failure doesn't slow push for wind, solar
The failure of solar panel manufacturer Solyndra doesn't mean a slow down for wind and solar energy, according to Bloomberg. The Obama administration is continuing to invest in alternative energy, working to award $9.2 billion in government financing to renewable energy companies before a Sept. 30 deadline.

Deep oceans could mask global warming
Deep oceans could absorb enough heat to mask global warming for a decade or longer. The ability of deep oceans to store heat could explain period where global warming slows despite there being no change in the amount of energy trapped in the Earth's atmosphere, reports the International Business Times.

Delay on greenhouse gas ruling
The New York Times reports that the EPA won't meet a Sept. 30 deadline for issuing a rule governing greenhouse gas emissions. The agency says the decision is not the result of political from the White House, despite calls from Republicans that the proposed regulation is a jobs killer.

Why can't we kill big oil subsidies?
President Obama has called for an end to big oil subsidies. A significant percentage of Americans think they should end. So why won't big oil subsidies die? Treehugger takes a look at the reasons that such subsidies are so hard to kill.

Fuel your car with...orange peel?
The Express reports that a British scientist may have found a way to turn orange peels, along with other food waste, into fuel and other chemicals. How? Using a specially built microwave -- so don't be tempted to try this at home.

Got a story you think we need to cover? Shoot us an email at feedback@current.com, subject line ATTN: Weekly Planet.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet -- here's news you don't want to miss.

Pipeline safety operating on the honor system
The New York Times examined the small federal agency in charge of monitoring the safety of oil pipelines. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration suffers from a lack of inspectors and resources. But the agency has also been criticized for a heavy reliance on self-reporting from oil companies and weak penalties.

Looking for a cause for climate change? Don't blame the clouds
Current community member JanforGore shared a story from The Daily Climate about new findings that undermine a controversial study that suggests cloud cover is behind temperature changes across the globe. The scientist behind the original cloud paper has been accused of cherry picking data to arrive at his conclusion, and the editor of the journal that originally published the report has resigned.

Precious metals from above
Ever wonder where the gold or platinum you're wearing originated? According to Discovery News, it could have come from outer space. Geologists have long wondered how the Earth's crusts is laced with metals like gold and platinum that should have migrated to the Earth's core when it formed. New research has give more weight to the theory that precious metals, and possibly water, were introduced to the Earth by meteorites crashing into the surface of the planet.

Is your gmail killing the planet?
Probably not, according to Mother Jones. While the data centers used by companies such as Google consume a significant amount of power, the impact spread over individual users is miniscule. The real energy use comes from the hardware you use. So if you're concerned about your energy usage, consider turning your computer off for a few more hours each day, but don't worry about deleting your archived data. After all, you never know when you'll need that cat macro from 2005.

Google invests in poo power
Speaking of Google, Discovery News reports the company is investing in alternative forms of energy, investing in a system that converts methane from pig waste into energy. The prototype is located west of Winston-Salem, N.C., and burns methane from hog waste to power a turbine and produce electricity. OK, there has to be a spam joke in there somewhere.

Got a story you think we need to cover? Shoot us an email at feedback@current.com, subject line ATTN: Weekly Planet.

We're taking a look at some of the stories affecting our planet -- here's a look at some of the news you may have missed.

Obama puts the brakes on new smog standards

Just when the EPA was about to announce new smog standards, SustainableBusiness reports that President Obama directed EPA administrator Lisa Jackson to pull the new guidelines, which would have limited ground-level ozone from cars, refineries and power plants to 60-70 parts per billion. Currently the limit is at 75 billion and environmentalists objected to the delay in the new standards, which could save an estimated 4,300 lives and was supported by scientists who say that current ozone levels are already harmful to health. 

Fracking controversy in South Africa

Current.com community member JanforGore posted the news from the Science and Development Network that environmental groups in South Africa are fighting back against energy companies who want to extract oil using a controversial method known as hydrofracking, or fracking. Fracking uses clean water mixed with with sand and chemicals to fracture rocks underground to release gas, and could pollute water supplies. Energy companies have leased rights to a shale field in South Africa's Karoo region, but are being opposed by environmental groups who are concerned that the process could deplete the region's already scarce water supply.

Stem cells helping endangered species

Science could have some good news for endangered species, according to a report from The Atlantic Wire and shared by current.com community member Misti. Researchers are working on ways to use stem cells to preserve or even revive species whose existence is threatened.

Get in shape, create electricity

On a lighter note, if you think spin class sounds like a lot of effort with no point...you may be wrong. The Environmental News Network reports the New York Sports Club is now offering a spin class with specially equipped bikes that generate electricity. The bikes do require a steep initial investment, but if the demand for such classes is high, this could become a powerful trend indeed.

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Have you ever considered looking up environmentally conscious clothing brands? Sustainable fashion has come a long way from the loose-stitched, tacky hippiewear of yesteryear. Hemp, organic cotton, and bamboo fibers can match your current T-shirts and denim jeans and style and durability.

When your clothes start to wear out, consider donating them to shelters for families who need them, and take a little time to go eco-fashion forward.