Daily Archives: November 10, 2008

Japan’s carbon dioxide emissions reached record levels in 2007. New data shows that 1.37 billion tons of greenhouse gases were emitted here in 2007. The amount is 8 percent more than levels in 1990. According to NHK World, the amount exceeds the national reduction target set in the Kyoto Protocol by about 15 percent.

Japan is obliged under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 6 percent from 1990 level during the 5 years from 2008 to 2012 but that looks increasingly difficult. The government attributes the increase to suspended operations at the <a href=”http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08

Image source: Getty Images

Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy Company just announced that it has joined the list of facilities that can and will take your unused and outdated medicines and properly dispose of them “by an FDA-approved company.” Neither dumping them down the drain or in the trash is a good ideas, as either way the drugs will eventually get back to you in your water supply.

Why is drug take back so difficult? Well, it has to do with Federal regulations

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Jendarling has found another untapped niche to claim for green – luggage, and more specifically garment bags. While you can just reuse the plastic that you get at the dry cleaners (if you go to them), those bags often don’t last very long and don’t cover your entire outfit. Plus, you’re just holding the chemicals onto your clothes longer, not to mention increasing the amount of plastic floating around in the environment. Instead, why not try a garment bag that is designed to travel with you around town or around the world that is also made from organic and reused materials

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If you’ve been looking for a great reusable bag that folds in tightly on itself for easy carrying in no time at all then look no further than the keychain that turns itself into a reusable tote put out by GrowKids.

Mushroom Kit for Gardenless Gardening
I’ve posted before on Paul Stamets’ TED talk about mushrooms saving the world, and have covered resources like MushroomExpert.com and 100 Edible Mushrooms. In short, I’m mildly obsessed with the fungal kingdom – reading anything I can get my hands on right now. My latest shroomy-escapade, however, has been purely in the realms of the practical,

This week marks the THIRD anniversary of Carnival of the Green ! So it’s no surprise that it’s being hosted by founder Al Tepper over at Natural Collection and their brand new eco space called ooffoo. Check it out – at oofoo it’s FREE to swap, sell, give away, recycle and share ideas with like-minded people.

Head on over to Carnival of the Green #153 to find a round up of green news and events from the past week, submitted by other blogger

Everyone dreams of a Jetson car. If a practical flying car became reality, overcoming friction and traffic jams could be part of the equation for a fuel-efficient future. Is it possible that a Skycar could be proven technology before the end of 2009?

It will be if Giles Cardozo’s dreams come true. Cardozo is the brainchild behind the Parajet Skycar. With a range of 180 km (110 miles) on bioethanol, this vehicle promises alternative transportation at least to scientists accessing remote areas for study if not for the Janes and Georges of future-suburbia. And it is about to be

Considering how much we wrote about hypermiling in the past year (see here, here, here, here and <a href=”http://www

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Photo: IowaPolitics.com via Flickr

With the election behind us it’s time to focus again on solutions, wouldn’t you say? It’s time to move forward and to accomplish great things. Now that we know who will lead us, the question is “where will we go?”

I’d like to see us slow global climate change and increase our supplies of fresh, local, and organic foods. I’d like to see families everywhere eating healthier fare and living in chemical-free home environments. I’

As you can imagine, I am very excited about the election results. I completely agree with my colleague Cathy Duvall, the Sierra Club Political Director, who said that “‘New Energy for America’ trumped ‘Drill, baby, drill’” and that “During his campaign, Barack Obama spoke of investing in clean energy to create jobs, secure energy independence, and fight global warming – and Americans clearly approved that message.”

And now that we’ve celebrated the results, it’s time to talk about what we will be doing during the new Obama Administration.

All of us at the Sierra Club and the many environmental organizations out there are discussing the next steps for the environmental movem