Ohio Growing Its Economy, Adding Jobs, With Green ‘Goesintas’

Wind turbine bearing manufactured at Timken Corportation, Tyger River, SC plant, from steel produced in Canton, Ohio. Image credit:Ohio.com
What is a green goesinta? Colloquially, it might be a wire or pipe that feeds ‘into’ something: as in bio-diesel blend ‘goes into’ the truck from the pump. Of course, only the biodiesel component of the blend is the ‘goesinta’ in this example. But it makes the vehicle and it’s owner ‘greener:’ hence it is the first green piece in the value chain. In the professional world, ‘g…Read the full story on TreeHugger

Yellow Power: Making Hydrogen From Pee

Instructions for using a urine separating toilet in Sweden
We do go on about the benefits of urine separating toilets, and how we have to redesign our plumbing systems to scale up dry composting and pee separation. It is a valuable resource because of the phosphorus, is sterile and easy to manage, and there is really no reason to mix it all up. Now we have another great reason to convert to urine separating toilets: It might become a great source of hydrogen.
Currently we get almost all of our hydrogen from steam reforming of natural gas, so it is…Read the full story on TreeHugger

ShadePlex Fabric Solar Panels Provide Flexibility and Fun

Image via: ShadePlex
Sounds like something little suzie homemaker would come up with – put fabric on solar panels and offer different colors so customers will like them for their aesthetic appeal. Actually, maybe this idea isn’t too far off the mark as many cus…Read the full story on TreeHugger
The Cincinnati Streetcar: Making the Case with Numbers (Video)

Image credit: Get Sick Productions
All too often I find advocacy for green or environmental projects lags somewhat behind protest against less green initiatives. After all, it’s relatively easy to win eyeballs by climbing on corporate roofs to expose toxins in computers , and somewhat harder to make the case for integrated mass transportation or other positive steps forward. (Having …Read the full story on TreeHugger
Ohio Edison to Re-Power Coal Plant With Renewable Biomass

photo: Asea_ via flickr
The EPA has announced that Ohio Edison (a subsidiary of First Energy Corp.) has agreed to re-power one of its coal-fired power plants with renewable biomass. The move is expected to <a href=”http://www.treehugger.com/files/2…Read the full story on TreeHugger
Weasel Word Watch: Tire & Trash Burners Lobby For “Renewable” Status

Scrap tire stockpile. Image credit:En-Tek
It might be efficient to unlock the energy in old tires, which are, after all, derived from petroleum. It might be relatively non-polluting to recover heat from burning tire bits if adequate emission controls are deployed. But, who would propose a law defining something made from petroleum as “renewable?” Some Ohio State legislators did, apparently. …