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Read our blog for the latest and greatest in clean energy research and products.

Coen Brothers help clear up Clean Coal myth

The Coen Brothers create this great [and funny] ad about "clean coal" for thisisreality.org. I seems the message might be getting through as the Environmental Protection Agency has decided to reconsider carbon dioxide regulation -- a serious wake up call to the coal industry!!!

Maybe Money does Grow on Trees!

We just stumbled upon a wonderful PBS TV series called Wide Angle (with the added bonus that it's hosted by Aaron Brown- the calming presence that got us through the CNN coverage of Hurricane Katrina.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of oil, coal and natural gas
(in millions of metric tons) see all charts

"Burning Season" is the first episode in the current season...the featured film tells the story of a 29-year-old Australian “green” entrepreneur named Dorjee Sun who believes he has a solution to reduce those harmful greenhouse gas emissions by making it more profitable to SAVE the trees of the Rainforest than to burn them down! The film tackles tough moral questions, but also shows the power of human creativity to solve our problems! Plus. you get an insider's view of the effect of the Kyoto protocols and the promise of Bali.

At the end of the program, there is an interview with Tom Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa explaining why he thinks the USA can create and innovate the solutions to the global climate change problem. After watching the program, we were inspired by one person's successful efforts to change the world. We look forward to the whole series!

Watch the Full Episode Online»

Home Depot launches CFL bulb recycling program

One of the main ways people know to go green is to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. But, most people don't know that you can't through CFLs in the trash because they contain a high amount of mercury.

Home depot has launched a "national in-store, consumer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb recycling program at all 1,973 The Home Depot locations. This free service is the first such offering made so widely available by a retailer in the United States and offers customers additional options for making environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal.

At each The Home Depot store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk. The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance." ^{homedepot.com}

The company also has a eco options section of their website which includes information about sustainable forestry, energy efficiency, healthy homes, clean air, and water conservation.

Kudzu not a curse? A biofuel instead?

As a budding gardener, I already feel hostility towards kudzu. And, when people talk about green roofs, I doubt they meant the ones covered in kudzu. So, imagine my surprise when I read in Discovery News that kudzu may be an excellent source for ethanol production...

"As concerns rise over corn ethanol creating competition between food and fuels, ethanol made from one of the country's most invasive plants -- kudzu -- could be part of the solution, according to Rowan Sage of the University of Toronto and colleagues at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The kudzu vine, also known as "the plant that ate the South," was brought from eastern Asia in 1876 and can grow more than 6.5 feet a week. Its starchy roots plunge deep into the soil, and just a fragment of the plant remaining in the ground is enough to allow it to come back next season.

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