Daily Archives: December 18, 2008

I am a performing songwriter living off grid in Terlingua, TX.

A few recent achievements I am proud of:

1) I just completed a national tour by train
2) My utility bill last month was $0
3) My article posts here are mostly solar powered

More info and music available at treemusic.org

With New Year’s just around the corner, it’s time to make resolutions for the coming 12 months. Many of us have pledged the old clichés year after year: dieting, saving money or quitting smoking.

Resolving to be healthy or financially fit is important. But with fluctuating energy prices and rising social awareness around the importance of sustainability, many Americans are ditching the tried and tired New Year’s clichés in favor of more holistic “green” resolutions for the benefit of themselves, their communities and the earth. These individuals are resolving to make a real difference in the world – in small, but collectively impactful ways.

(Image from kirainet.com)

Kids in Japan love their cell phones, but not everyone is happy about the way they are used. Five years ago, a prestigious university in Japan failed 26 students for receiving exam answers on their cell phones. Now, frequent bullying and other issues linked to social networking Web sites accessible by cell phones have stirred up a big debate here. Students will be prohibited from using cell phones at the majority of public primary, middle and high schools in from the next school year, under a plan announced by <a href=”http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20081205TDY02305.ht

Human-powered transportation is a TreeHugger favorite, but it doesn’t stop with just walking, biking, running, and the like. There are a lot of weird ways to get around under your own power, from pedal-powered oddities like the Couchbike to innovative (if a bit wacky) inventions like HumanCar.

From ideas we wish were everywhere — like the pedal-powered pub — to contraptions that just leave

Chimeric solutions to the climate crisis are getting some attention in the US Congress. A testifying “energy analyst” has suggested that the US Federal government consider hybrid power technologies as the way forward:

It might be best to make incremental gains now, energy analyst Kevin Book told Bingaman’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee Wednesday. Book, senior vice president at FBR Capital Markets, suggested US spending on “hybrid” measures that improve the energy/environment picture although they do not ”transform” it.

So like

if hybrid cars are cool, something like that for power generation migh

Today’s TreeHugger Deal comes to you from San Francisco-based Night+Day Guides. The Night+Day, Cool Cities Series is the platinum (and green!) standard for sophisticated urbanista travelers. Printed on high quality recycled paper and containing the most current information available, these guides are always on the cutting edge with free downloadable updates. The Night+Day, Cool Cities Series includes: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Chicago, D.C., Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Mexico City, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Shanghai/ Beijing, Sydney/Melbourne, and Toronto

.

flooded fields in the Phillipines, photo: Sir Mervs

We’ve all heard by now that global warming will bring about changes in precipitation patterns, with some areas seeing increases with other areas drying out. A new piece of research from MIT delves into this area and finds that the changes in groundwater levels could be much greater than the changes in precipitation itself.

While the researchers acknowledge that a wide array of factors will influence the effect at a given location, this the broad stroke:

Happy Birthday Bill!
Now on the lighter side: eSolar employees shot this video of them wishing a happy birthday to Bill Gross, the founder of Idealab, the parent company of <a href=”http://www.e

E-cards Underscore Need for Action in 2009
Chances are that most of our readers are a little more organized than me, and have already sent their holiday cards. But if you haven’t (or even if you have but want to send more), check out these topical, politically charged e-cards from the Climate warriors at 1Sky. Not only will these allow you to squeeze in your greetings in time, but they’ll also save paper in the process – check out our post on ecards versus paper cards for more info, or join the debate on whether <a href=”http://w