Green Living Q & A

Can anyone suggest a good book on sustainable living?

I’d like a book on sustainable living with practical ideas that you can use and make at home. Pictures and diagrams of how to do these things would be great. Or even a website with this sort of thing.

How to start sustainable urban living?

I’ve wanted to really get into sustainable living. I just moved into an apartment with a balcony and I’m overwhelmed with options… Where is the best place to start?
I am in a landscape horticulture program right now and taking ‘intro to sustainable landscaping’. This means I can do more stuff, but also have less focus. I have done little things such as buying mainly thrift and slowly making all my own toiletries.

What are some sustainable living options? – and some extended details please?

I am doing some homework on designing a poster for Technology Class. I just need some help on what I should choose, they all seem good. I need this ready for the 31st of March. Thanks! And if you cannot answer this question, then you could probably try to answer my other question about using sustainable or renewable energy in our lives 🙂 Thanks!

Is there a place online where you can meet singles who have common interest in sustainable living?

I have joined homesteading and sustainable lifestyle online groups, however, none of the people are single or are looking to meet anyone. They only want to talk about preserving food and what-not, lol. I don’t really like dating sites because it’s hard to meet people with common interests. Whats one to do? Any suggestions?

What are good Internet sources for learning about medicinal herbs and sustainable living?

I’d like to try to grow my own fruits, vegetables, and herbal remedies and would like to research it as much as possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Where can I find a popular website where I can sell and market my eco-friendly / green products?

I am in the process of creating a bunch eco–friendly toys made from organic cotton, hemp, and environmentally friendly materials, and will soon be manufacturing other green products. Is there a site out there like Amazon for green eco products only? I plan to upload my products onto my own website, and would also like to list them/market them on a popular eco product site that gets loads of green-minded / eco conscious customers visiting the site. Thanks!

Where can I find an online list of eco-friendly baby products?

I’m trying to find a good baby list of eco–friendly products to buy a gift for a friend’s baby shower. Any suggestions?

Where in Ireland can you buy energy saving and eco friendly products?

Online retailer www.purchase.ie was established in November 2009 and offer some very innovative and colourful energy saving and eco–friendly products. Sunjars are wonderful solar lights, with a trolley dolly you no longer need plastic bags when shopping and the showerdome completely eliminates steam from your bathroom. Its worth checking these and other products out on the site.

Are English people interested by eco friendly products?

I wanted to know if anybody had any market knowledge to share on the English interest in eco friendly products. More broadly, I want to know to what extent do the Brits care about ecology.
Thank you.

If we switch to more eco-friendly products what will that do for the environment?t?

I am writing an expressive essay on how we should use more eco–friendly products and how if we make the switch to better products how that will affect the environment. Does anyone know how using better products will affect our world in a better way?

Environmental issues?

I have a project at school and we have to do a project on an environmental issue. I don’t want to do pollution because everyone else is doing it. Any environmental issues I should do a project on? And is poaching considered a environmental issue?

Environmental Issues?

hi, what are some environmental issues? what are some things i can do at home to save money and to not waste energy? also, how would i go about making a poster for other people to look at it and to stop wasting energy

environmental issues?

im doing a public service announcement for school
and its about environmental issues
could you guys help me think of some issues, and a good slogan for it?
thanksxo

What environmental issues are currently surrounding Shell Island?

What environmental issues are currently surrounding Shell Island? Explain these issues from the point of view of the tourists, government, and local people who own real estate. What is your opinion on these issues?

What are some environmental issues that are affecting animals?

I have to write a two page paper on some type of environmental issue and I want to incorporate something into my paper that interests me, and that’s animals. So what are some environmental issues that are affecting animals?

How do I find the website of ‘Alternative Energy News Source’?

I have heard that it is the best website on Alternative Energy.

Alternative Energy News?

I would like to read an interesting news article on a promising new alternative–energy (i.e., supply a news-story link).

Are there magazines that specialize in current news in the alternative energy industry – both biz & science?

I’m looking to subscribe to a publication that provides in depth coverage of the alt / green / renewable energy industry. Everything I’ve found so far has been either boring sound bites that aren’t very informative, or very technical journals. I’m looking for something in between. In-depth industry coverage, sort of like a Scientific American or New Yorker for just green energy. Any leads would be helpful, even if they’re not exactly what I’m looking for!

I need a news article about alternative energy?

please & thankyou…

what do you like about the article, you found?

😀

why is the Fox News hive mind telling its drones that alternative energy cannot be found or is not feasable?

when one clearly can be found and is all around us?

The launch of Yahoo university college centre sustainable strategic integrated learning and living (YUCCSSILL)

Education is to be exact definate useful calculative accountable transparent informative orderly and neutral.It means”a food that satisfies you all the time and also remember to always wash your hands before eating that traditional food that you enjoy very much which quenches your thirst for human wants for life in one of our liguistics dialects about 2000 years ago.Education is to remember your own home mother father upbring life style and always let the world know how you have been brought up, and why you think the way you think or do things the way you do them or say things the way you say them.The beggining and the end of our sustainable class is”Know why you are called by your name”from our global satelite navigation transmission station(GSNTS)our space Shuttle curretly in the orbit,Mission Oask G8 a soundsonic silence device travelling for 880 days to cover 880 billion air land sea fields miles to collect all Dna bio-metrics genetics organics genes account records on all humans

Would you go to and earth friendly cafe?

I’m thinking of opening a cafe centered around sustainable, chemical and hormone free foods. Vegetarian, vegan, etc.
I do have experience, I ‘m just wondering if my dream is really worth the investment..
Any ideas?
Wow!
Thanks for all the response! I actually am already a chef, who works 17 hour days 6 days a week, so this would actually be a Reduction in hours!!
It’s really great to see so many people aware and willing to change their habits. I am in Vermont, already a key crowd to target with healthy alternatives, and a great area to utilize locally produced foods!

How do you summarize this article?

CHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — An analysis of 20 years’ worth of real-life observations supports recent U.N. computer predictions that by 2050, summer sea ice off Alaska’s north coast will probably shrink to nearly half the area it covered in the 1980s, federal scientists say.

The polar bear is being considered for threatened species status because of changes in habitat.

Such a loss could have profound effects on mammals dependent on the sea ice, such as polar bears, now being considered for threatened species status because of changes in habitat due to global warming. It could also threaten the catch of fishermen.

In the 1980s, sea ice receded 30 to 50 miles each summer off the north coast, said James Overland, a Seattle-based oceanographer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“Now we’re talking about 300 to 500 miles north of Alaska,” he said of projections for 2050.

That’s far past the edge of the highly productive waters over the relatively shallow continental shelf, considered important habitat for polar bears and their main prey, ringed seals, as well as other ice-dependent mammals, such as walrus.

The NOAA researchers reviewed 20 computer scenarios of the effects of warming on sea ice, used by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its assessment report released this year.

The researchers compared those models with observations from 1979 through 1999, Overland said, and concluded that the summer ice in the Beaufort Sea likely will have diminished by 40 percent, compared with its 1980s area.

The same is likely for the East Siberian-Chukchi Sea region off northwest Alaska and Russia. In contrast, Canada’s Baffin Bay and Labrador showed little predicted change.

There was less confidence for winter ice, but the models also predict a sea ice loss of more than 40 percent for the Bering Sea off Alaska’s west coast, the Sea of Okhotsk east of Siberia and the Barents Sea north of Norway.

The research paper by Overland and Muyin Wang, a NOAA meteorologist, will be published Saturday in Geophysical Research Letters, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

The situation is dire for polar bears, said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity, who wrote the petition seeking federal protection for the animals.

“They’re going to drown, they’re going to starve, they’re going to resort to cannibalism, they’re going to become extinct,” she said.

As ice recedes, many bears will get stuck on land in summer, where they have virtually no sustainable food source, Siegel said. Some will try and fail to swim to sea ice, she said.

Bears that stay on sea ice will find water beyond the continental shelf to be less productive, she said, and females trying to den on land in the fall will face a long swim.

“It’s absolutely horrifying from the polar bear perspective,” she said.

Less sea ice also will mean a changing ecosystem for commercial fishermen and marine mammals in the Bering Sea, Overland said.

With sea ice present, many of the nutrients produced in the ocean feed simple plankton that bloom and sink to the ocean floor, providing rich habitat for crabs, clams and the mammals that feed on them, including gray whales and walrus.

“If you don’t have the ice around, the productivity stays up closer to the surface of the ocean,” Overland said. “You actually have a change in the whole ecosystem from one that depends on the animals that live on the bottom to one that depends on the animals that live in the water column. So you have winners and losers.”

That could mean short-term gains for salmon and pollock, he said. But it also could mean that fishermen will have to travel farther north to fish in Alaska’s productive waters, and warm-water predators might move north.

The contribution to warming by greenhouse gas emissions likely is set, he said. Emissions stay in the atmosphere for 40 to 50 years before the ocean absorbs them. The amount emitted in the past 20 years and the carbon dioxide put out in the next 20 will linger, Overland said.

“I’m afraid to say, a lot of the images we are going to see in the next 30 to 40 years are pretty much already established,” he said.

Since republicans hate food stamps, that means they must want low income workers to starve, right?

http://news.yahoo.com/usa-becomes-food-stamp-nation-sustainable-160645036.html;_ylt=Aob26E_3.t6LP61jfBV4AGDxh7l_

So why do you Republicans hate the low income workers so much that you would rather have them starve or have to choose between homelessness or eating? Why do you automatically assume (incorrectly ) that ll food stamp recipients are poor? and WHY under ANY circumstances do yu think its okay to let people starve? Why do you believe (wrongfully) that private charities are in anyway sufficient to make up for the BAD wages being paid by many companies like Wal-Mart, which not even a flea could live on…

Never mind that most food stamp recipients work hard at low-paying dead end jobs, never mind that those jobs don’t offer growth opportunities, never mind that those jobs don’t allow a person with as family or even a single person to rent an apartment, or pay utilities, or food, MUCH LESS education…never mind that while these people get paid CRAP, CEO billionaires are making billions of their cheap labor while these people can barely live, and have no hope…no you people always seem to oppose things like food stamps

Is it because you are all naive fools, or just really greedy, evil, selfish, self centered human beings with no concern for anyone else and no concept of economic reality (capitalism ONLY helps the rich get richer)? Im honest here, this isn’t a rhetorical question…so what is it? And WHY do you want poor people to starve?

PS –you can report this all you want, ill keep posting…not that you republicans will btther reading before answering my questions…

Need help rewording a few paragraphs!?

LCA is a method used to analyze the consumption and environmental burdens associated with a product. LCA takes into account energy input and output involved in all stages of the life cycle including production, processing, packaging, transport and retirement. LCA evaluation accounts for a matrix of sustainability indicators beyond greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), including resource depletion, air and water pollution, human health impacts and waste generation. This method provides a more holistic approach to assessing the impact our food choices have on the environment. If a life cycle assessment approach is pursued, hopefully pressure will shift from reducing “food miles” – which can be a small percentage of the total energy input – to reducing emissions in all stages in the cycle of world

Proponents of reducing food miles often suggest that buying local food will reduce the amount of energy involved in the transportation process, as food sourced locally travels shorter distances. The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has conducted several studies that compare the distance traveled by conventional versus local foods. Figure 3, compiled by the Leopold Center, compares food miles for local versus conventional produce traveling to Iowa. In all cases, the locally grown food travels a significantly shorter distance than the conventionally sourced food. It is interesting to note that when the transportation method was taken into account, the local food system required more energy and emitted more CO2 than the regional system. This is because the trunks supplying food locally had a smaller capacity, therefore requiring more trips and logging more miles. It has been shown that local food systems do reduce food miles, which in turn tend to reduce energy consumption, but there are exceptions. Local transportation systems may not always be as efficient as regional systems, depending on the mode of transport and load capacity.

where can you get cheap eco-friendly furniture?

I am redoing my bedroom and I want it to be completely eco–friendly so I am looking around online but can’t seem to find anything.. got any suggestions?

Where can I find eco friendly furniture?

I have looked all over, but I can’t seem to find anything that in more classic in style. Everything seems to be very modern. I have found a few custom makers, but that is out of my price range. Any suggestions?

Where in Ireland can i buy eco friendly pet furniture?

By pet furniture i mean, dog houses, cat houses, anything mainly made from pliwood material?

We’re looking for new export market for our eco-friendly furniture products, need advice from anybody!?

we are looking new export market for our eco friendly furniture products, these furnitures made of wood waste and use free VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) on finishing and adhesives. Needs importer for bulk quantity at least 1X20’FCL each order.
looking for importers for our eco friendly furniture products made of wood waste and use free VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) on finishing and adhesives materials. Minimum order for mixed items is 1X20’FCL (Full Container Load)

see products details on www.treecycled.com
we are furniture manufacturer based in Jepara, Indonesia.

an eco friendly question regarding furniture?

is salvaging old furniture being eco friendly?

How do I enter the renewable energy industry?

I just left my job as an online advertising manager for a successful online retailer. My personal interests and sense of responsibility to help save our planet have prompted me to seek an opportunity in the renewable energy industry.

Does anyone have any advice on how I can break into this hot new field? My background is journalism and a specialization in online channel partners, especially eBay, Amazon, and Shop.com.

Thanks!
Erik

i need 2 examples & definition for these words….?

Animate power,
Asylum seeker,
Centrality,
Cultural linkage,
Cultural revival,
Density gradient,
Disamenity sector,
Economic reach,
Environmental stress,
Ethnic islands, Functional specialization,
Functional structure,
Renewable energy,
Renewable resources,
Sanitary landfill,
Sector model,
Smart growth,
Soil erosion,
Solid waste,
Sprawl,
Squatter settlement,
Stratosphere,
Suburb,
Suburbanization,
Sunbelt,
Sustainable development,
Toxic waste,
Troposphere,
Underclass,
United nations conference on environment and development (UNCED),
United nations conference on the Human environment,
Urban function,
Urban geography,
Urban hierarchy,
Urban model,
Urban realm,
Urban renewal,
Urbanization,
Urbanized area,
Vienna convention for the protection of the Ozone layer,
World city,
Zoning ordinance,

I <3 all who help 😉

Germany economic info?

I am doing a project for economics and I would like to know what their economic strengths and weaknesses are as well as a major agricultural industry they have.

So far I have strengths as
-Good labor force/highly educated and early specialization
-Plentiful capital equipment (factories and machines)
-Favorable balance of trade
-Free Market
-Fully employed resources
-Leader in producer of renewable energy (wind, solar)

Weakness:
-Not many natural resources
-Fossil fuels
….Need more weaknesses

can someone please help me, im trying to help my daughter with her biology.?

1. What is the term for an evolutionary change in one species
that results in the evolutionary change of another species?
A. Binary evolution
B. Competitive evolution
C. Coevolution
D. Interactive evolution
2. All the interconnected paths of energy flowing from species
to species in an ecosystem is called a
A. detrital food web. C. food chain.
B. trophic level. D. food web.
3. The number of individuals an environment can sustain for an
indefinite period of time is called its
A. limit of growth. C. carrying capacity.
B. rate of growth. D. ideal birth rate.
4. The main reason for land subsidence is
A. the removal of water from aquifers.
B. the destruction of plant life.
C. desertification.
D. land exploitation.
5. Which statement best describes the competitive exclusion principle?
A. Decreased competition between two species leads to increased niche specialization.
B. Character displacement is evidence of competition and resource partitioning.
C. No two species can occupy the same ecological niche at the same time.
D. Adjacent ecological niches lead to the elimination of one of the niches.
6. Which one of the following statements expresses a characteristic of MDCs?
A. The population of MDCs is larger than that of LDCs.
B. MDCs produce most of the world’s hazardous wastes.
C. People in MDCs use less water than those in LDCs.
D. The age structure of MDCs is less stable than that of LDCs.
7. An example of a renewable energy source is
A. coal. C. land.
B. water. D. minerals.
8. A species that takes in only inorganic nutrients is called a/an
A. decomposer. C. heterotrophy.
B. consumer. D. autotroph.
9. What kind of ecological succession occurs when soil has not yet formed?
A. Secondary C. Mutual
B. Primary D. Climatic
10. If, over a period of 10 years, a population has a logistic growth rate, you would
expect to see
A. a death rate much higher than the birth rate.
B. an S-shaped curve followed by a J-shaped curve.
C. accelerating population growth over the entire period.
D. a stable equilibrium phase.
11. Which of these is an indirect value of biodiversity?
A. Prevention of soil erosion
B. Agricultural value
C. Medicinal value
D. Provision of consumable resources
12. What occurs when members of one species try to use necessary resources that
are in limited supply?
A. Predation C. Predator-prey cycles
B. Natural disasters D. Competition
13. When decomposers are unable to break down industrial wastes, they become more
concentrated as they move through the food chain. This process is called biological
A. pollution. C. magnification.
B. synthesis. D. concentration.
14. What is described by the following sentence? The members of a population are small in
size, the young mature early, they get little care from their parents, and they have a
short life span.
A. Equilibrium population
B. Population of mountain gorillas
C. Opportunistic population
D. Species of birds approaching extinction
15. In an ecosystem, a large number of species are dependent on one particular species of
bird. The species of bird is an example of a/an _______ species.
A. keystone C. capstone
B. native D. exotic
16. The science of ecology developed from the study of
A. natural history. C. chemistry.
B. biology. D. human populations.
17. Following deforestation of tropical forests, the remaining soil is nutrient-poor because
A. it’s located over bedrock.
B. it’s mostly sand.
C. there are no remaining nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
D. most nutrients have been absorbed by the vegetation.
18. Which biochemical cycle aids plants through bacterial nodules in soil?
A. Carbon C. Phosphorus
B. Nitrogen D. Oxygen
19. All of the different species living in a particular location are called a/an
A. community. C. biosphere.
B. ecosystem. D. population.
20. The process in which two species interact in ways that benefit both of them is called
A. commensalism. C. mutualism.
B. parasitism. D. predation.

please help thank you?

1. What is the term for an evolutionary change in one species
that results in the evolutionary change of another species?
A. Binary evolution
B. Competitive evolution
C. Coevolution
D. Interactive evolution
2. All the interconnected paths of energy flowing from species
to species in an ecosystem is called a
A. detrital food web. C. food chain.
B. trophic level. D. food web.
3. The number of individuals an environment can sustain for an
indefinite period of time is called its
A. limit of growth. C. carrying capacity.
B. rate of growth. D. ideal birth rate.
4. The main reason for land subsidence is
A. the removal of water from aquifers.
B. the destruction of plant life.
C. desertification.
D. land exploitation.
5. Which statement best describes the competitive exclusion principle?
A. Decreased competition between two species leads to increased niche specialization.
B. Character displacement is evidence of competition and resource partitioning.
C. No two species can occupy the same ecological niche at the same time.
D. Adjacent ecological niches lead to the elimination of one of the niches.
6. Which one of the following statements expresses a characteristic of MDCs?
A. The population of MDCs is larger than that of LDCs.
B. MDCs produce most of the world’s hazardous wastes.
C. People in MDCs use less water than those in LDCs.
D. The age structure of MDCs is less stable than that of LDCs.
7. An example of a renewable energy source is
A. coal. C. land.
B. water. D. minerals.
8. A species that takes in only inorganic nutrients is called a/an
A. decomposer. C. heterotrophy.
B. consumer. D. autotroph.
9. What kind of ecological succession occurs when soil has not yet formed?
A. Secondary C. Mutual
B. Primary D. Climatic
10. If, over a period of 10 years, a population has a logistic growth rate, you would
expect to see
A. a death rate much higher than the birth rate.
B. an S-shaped curve followed by a J-shaped curve.
C. accelerating population growth over the entire period.
D. a stable equilibrium phase.
11. Which of these is an indirect value of biodiversity?
A. Prevention of soil erosion
B. Agricultural value
C. Medicinal value
D. Provision of consumable resources
12. What occurs when members of one species try to use necessary resources that
are in limited supply?
A. Predation C. Predator-prey cycles
B. Natural disasters D. Competition
13. When decomposers are unable to break down industrial wastes, they become more
concentrated as they move through the food chain. This process is called biological
A. pollution. C. magnification.
B. synthesis. D. concentration.
14. What is described by the following sentence? The members of a population are small in
size, the young mature early, they get little care from their parents, and they have a
short life span.
A. Equilibrium population
B. Population of mountain gorillas
C. Opportunistic population
D. Species of birds approaching extinction
15. In an ecosystem, a large number of species are dependent on one particular species of
bird. The species of bird is an example of a/an _______ species.
A. keystone C. capstone
B. native D. exotic
16. The science of ecology developed from the study of
A. natural history. C. chemistry.
B. biology. D. human populations.
17. Following deforestation of tropical forests, the remaining soil is nutrient-poor because
A. it’s located over bedrock.
B. it’s mostly sand.
C. there are no remaining nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
D. most nutrients have been absorbed by the vegetation.
18. Which biochemical cycle aids plants through bacterial nodules in soil?
A. Carbon C. Phosphorus
B. Nitrogen D. Oxygen
19. All of the different species living in a particular location are called a/an
A. community. C. biosphere.
B. ecosystem. D. population.
20. The process in which two species interact in ways that benefit both of them is called
A. commensalism. C. mutualism.
B. parasitism. D. predation.

Why do environmental extremists oppose economic progress?

“A controversial proposal to build a massive underground pipeline to carry 700,000 barrels of crude oil per day from the oil sands of Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas has become the environmental issue of the summer, pitting developers and labor unions desperate for construction jobs against environmentalists and Native American tribes who fear the pipeline will spell environmental disaster.

TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL project would consist of more than 1,700 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipe, about 327 miles of which would be in Canada while the rest would snake southward through the central United States. Because the pipeline would cross the international border between Saskatchewan, Canada, and Morgan, Mont., a special permit from the U.S. Department of State is required for the project to proceed.”

Are Environmental issues exclusively for the purpose of crippling America?

Environmentalism is the direct cause of our dependence on foreign oil and $4 / gas. Environmental groups sue oil exploration companies at every drill site and cause a two year process to take ten years. Further, Americans are constantly losing the individual rights to use their own property as they see fit due to a U.N. Treaty called Agenda 21 (look it up). Even the border fence, mandated by Congress, vital to our security, was held up because environmentalists sued over a miniscule amount of habitat for some breed of cat. Global Elitists are behind all of these efforts.

Global Elitists are pushing for a “Trans America Corridor”. This is a planned multi-lane international freeway from the Mexican border in Texas, to our border with Canada in the north. The highway is planned to be at least 1,300 feet wide, and will be approximately 1,500 miles long. Mmmm, let’s do the math. That works out to be somewhere near ONE QUARTER MILLION SQUARE ACRES.

Global Elitists (all of the Democrats and the “Bush” wing of the Republican Party) get what they want. If they want to stifle our energy production, bring on the screaming Environmentalists. If they want to destroy American sovereignty with open borders and an International Highway, Environmentalists say NOTHING about a 250,000 square acres slab of concrete.

Why is this not the biggest Environmental issue in history? Connect the dots.

http://www.mmlv.us/nacorridors.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1544550/Texans-fear-US-sovereignty-will-disappear-down-superhighway.html

http://www.edhtelegraph.com/detail/84695.html

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=15763

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2007/08/11/michael-crichton-praises-new-skeptical-environmentalists-guide-global

Winterules: Yes, you are making my point. What they shouldn’t fight they fight, what they should fight – – – not a word.

Environmentalist: I think you completely missed the point – – – – who’s alex jones?

Is Texas right to fight US EPA over greenhouse gases?

EPA Takes Over Texas Air Permit Process
12/24/2010
Tulsa World
JEFF CARLTON

DALLAS – The Environmental Protection Agency announced Thursday that it is taking the unprecedented step of directly issuing air permits to industries in Texas, citing the state’s unwillingness to comply with greenhouse gas regulations going into effect Jan. 2.

EPA officials indicated they reluctantly were taking over Clean Air Act Permits for greenhouse gas emissions because “officials in Texas have made clear … they have no intention of implementing this portion of the federal air permitting program.”

“EPA prefers that the state of Texas and all states remain the permitting authority for (greenhouse gas) sources,” the agency said in a statement. “In the same way that EPA has worked with other states and local agencies, the agency stands ready to do the same with (Texas).”

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the world’s second largest environmental regulatory agency after the EPA, has said it will not modify its permitting process to include greenhouse gas emissions. In a statement Thursday, the TCEQ said it is still studying the EPA’s plan to take over permitting in Texas, adding that it is neither a “common sense approach nor a reasonable approach.”

“The EPA cannot measure reductions in (carbon dioxide) or any other (greenhouse gas) with this new regulation, and the EPA cannot correlate this new regulation to any environmental or health benefit,” the TCEQ said.

The federal agency also plans to issue greenhouse gas permits in seven other states – Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Oregon and Wyoming. But those states have indicated they are revising their permitting process to comply with greenhouse gas emission regulations.

Texas, which estimated 167 projects would be affected by the new rules, stands alone in refusing to modify its permitting process. The Lone Star State has more oil refineries, chemical plants and coal-fired power plants than any other state, and leads the nation in greenhouse gas emissions and industrial pollution.

Texas and the EPA have repeatedly clashed over environmental issues, a division Gov. Rick Perry used on the campaign trail as an example of Washington trampling on states’ rights.

The new greenhouse gas rules go into effect Jan. 2. They require the nation’s largest industries to meet more stringent greenhouse gas emissions standards in new facilities or ones that are undergoing significant modifications.

The standards were enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that greenhouse gases are pollutants that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act and a 2009 EPA finding that the gases can pose a danger to human health. SUBHEAD: Texas officials refuse to include greenhouse gases in their regulatory authorizations.

Originally published by JEFF CARLTON Associated Press.

(c) 2010 Tulsa World. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.

Should state or federal governments regulate the environment?

Environmental regulations can be tricky, because there are regulations set by the federal EPA, and then there are often other regulations set by state environmental agencies.

This issue is coming to a head in Texas, which has long had very lax state environmental regulations. About 200 Texas facilities are now operating with air and water permits that are either out of date or have been disapproved by the EPA. Texas had issued flexible pollution permits, and in one example such a permit has allowed Shell’s Deer Park refinery to emit nearly double the amount of sulfur dioxide than would be permissible if it had a federally acceptable permit.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/30/rick-perry-texas-epa_n_802643.html

A counter-example is California, where state environmental regulations tend to be stricter than federal regulations.

The issue also relates to global warming, as Texas is the main state trying to sue the EPA, claiming that its Supreme Court-mandated greenhouse gas regulations are overstepping boundaries and meddling in states’ rights.

If environmental regulation were left up to individual states, there would be a lot more variation in pollution levels. California’s would remain quite low and safe, whereas Texas‘ would be quite high and probably put Texans’ health at risk. When it comes to greenhouse gases, only a few states would regulate them at all, whereas with the federal EPA in charge, all states will have the same greenhouse gas regulations.

What do you think – should state or federal governments regulate the environment?

Bill writing exercise (please help me)?

Your bill may be on any state legislative subject you wish. The war in Iraq and immigration reform are federal responsibilities, but there are state responsibilities also. For instance, the State of Texas could reward Iraq War veterans from Texas by some method (free tuition to state colleges, additional funding for new homes, extra exemption from property taxes). On immigration, the City of Farmers Branch recently passed an ordinance requiring that landlords check on the legal residency status of potential renters. The ordinance is currently unenforceable because of a federal court injunction, but this may change. There are lots of other state subjects for legislation – taxes, gambling, roads, social service spending, education, law enforcement, environmental issues, and the list is lengthy. Use your imagination, but narrow the subject to a reasonable item for one bill.

Put an arbitrary number in HB [ ]. In each legislative session, the state legislature numbers the bills and resolutions that are filed. This bill was filed in the Texas House of Representatives, HB [ ] by you.

Section 1 requires definitions. The law must be specific to reduce “wiggle room” for people to escape the purpose of the law.

Section 2 is the “meat” of the law. What are the components of the law? What are you trying to accomplish? Will the new law require another state agency or can an existing state agency enforce it?

Section 3 establishes the penalties for violating the law. There can be civil and/or criminal penalties.

Texas Legislative Services HB[ ]
Filed by [ ]
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
[ ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

Section 1. Definitions.

[ ]

Section 2. Provisions.

[ ]

Section 3. Penalties.

[ ]

Section 4. Repealer Clause
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are herewith repealed to the extent of the conflict.

Section 5. Severability Clause
If any portion of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional, it is the intent of this Legislature that the other portions of this Act shall remain in full force and effect.

Section 6. Emergency Clause
The importance of this legislation and the crowded conditions of the calendars of both Houses create an imperative public necessity that the Constitutional Rule requiring that Bills be read on three separate days in each House be suspended, and that this Act shall take effect immediately upon its passage, and it is so enacted.
I just dont get it, but if i pick issue like IMMIGRATION then i write about it. The thing is that i dont know what to write about the definition
would you please just help me writing the definition for immigration?

How do i get started in an alternative/sustainable energy (biomass/bioenergy) business/awarness?

I am a current college student (Junior) in Austin, Texas and i am presently study Petroleum engineering but i intend to swtitch to Sustainable energy developement for my Masters program. I need people or someone to partner with or who can help me/us get started. I will like to get started as soon as possible rather than wait untill i graduate? I am very into the alternative energy movement and i need peole like myself to work with. For anyone who just want to help by pitching me random ideas here on yahoo,i will send you $20 dollars via PayPal or else contact me direct to discuss the possibility of working together on the project. I am very open to relacting anywhere that will best suite the chance of success.

Is Chemical or Mechanical Engineering in University of Houston Good?

My 1st choice was Petroleum in UT at Austin, but im in doubt about the petroleum business with all the alternative energy coming out these days, so i settled in for BSMe or BSChe here in Houston. Any other school suggestions? Currently at my Community College i have a 3.5 GPA is that good enough?

THE REPUBLICAN DICTIONARY?

ACTIVIST JUDGE, n. A judge who attempts to protect the rights of
minorities–most especially homosexuals–against the tyranny of the
majority. (Contributed by Amy Mashberg, Austin, Texas)

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES, n. New locations to drill for oil and gas.
(Peter Scholz, Fort Collins, Colorado)

CIVIL LIBERTIES, n. Unnecessary privileges that you aren’t afraid of
losing unless you are a God-hating, baby-killing, elitist liberal who
loves Saddam Hussein more than your own safety. (Megan Ellis,
Bellingham, Washington)

CLIMATE CHANGE, n. Global warming, without that annoying suggestion that
something is wrong. (Robert Shanafelt, Statesboro, Georgia)

DEATH TAX, n. A term invented by anti-tax zealots and referring to a tax
used to prevent the very wealthy from establishing a dominating
aristocracy in this country. (David McNeely, Lutz, Florida)

DEMOCRATIC ALLY, n. Any democracy, monarchy, plutocracy, oligarchy or
dictatorship–no matter how ruthless–that verbally supports American
diplomatic and economic goals. (L.J. Klass, Concord, New Hampshire)

DEREGULATE, v. To pursue greed and exploitation. (Nathan Taylor, Long
Beach, California)

DETAIN, v. Hold in a secret place without recourse to law and treat in
any manner one wishes. (Jeannine Bettis, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma)

ECONOMIC PROGRESS, n. 1. Recession; 2. Rising unemployment; 3.
Minimum-wage freeze. (Terry McGarry, East Rockaway, New York)

FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE, n. Christian Right Payoff. (Michael Gendelman ,
Fair Haven, New Jersey)

FAMILY VALUES, n. Oppression of women. (Nancy Matsunaga, Brooklyn, New York)

FOX NEWS, n. White House Press Office. (Donnalyn Murphy, San Francisco,
California)

HARD WORK, n. What Republicans say when they can’t think of anything
better. (Brain McDowell), Durham, North Carolina)

INSURGENT, n. Armed or unarmed, violent or non-violent Iraqi on the
receiving end of an American rocket blast or bullet spray, regardless of
age, gender or political affiliation. (Joey Flores, Marina del Ray,
California)

MODERNIZE, v. To do away with, as in modernizing Social Security, labor
laws, etc. (Robert Sean Roarty, Atlanta, Georgia)

OBSTRUCTIONIST, n. Any elected representative who dares to question
Republican radicals on the issue of the day. (Terry Levine, Toronto,
Ontario)

OWNERSHIP SOCIETY, n. A society in which Republican donors own the rest
of us. (Adrianne Stevens, Seattle, Washington)

PRIVATIZE, v. To steal the resources of the national community and give
them to private business. (Susan Dyer, Ottsville, Pennsylvania)

REFORM, v. To eliminate, as in tort reform (to eliminate all lawsuits
against businesses and corporations) or Social Security and Medicare
reform (to eliminate these programs altogether). (Darren Staley, Millers
Creek, North Carolina)

STRICT CONSTRUCTIONIST, n. A judge with extremely conservative beliefs,
who interprets laws in a manner that fits his/rarely-her own belief
systems, while maintaining that this was the original intent of the law.
(Floyd Doney, Athens, Ohio)

SUPPORT THE MILITARY, v. To praise Bush when he sends our young men and
women off to die for no reason and without proper body armor. (Marc
Goldberg, Vancouver, Washington)

TAX REFORM, n. The shifting of the tax burden from unearned income to
earned income, or rather, from the wealthy elite to the working class.
(Eric Evans, Gregory, Michigan)

TORT REFORM, n. Corporate immunity and impunity. (Sue Bazy,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

UNITER, n. A Leader who brings together his followers by fomenting
hatred for anyone who disagrees with him. (Larry Allred, Las Cruces, New
Mexico)

Do you guys have anything different to add to this? Do you think it is pretty much accurate?

Can Obama Change THIS?

Wind/ Alternative energy program is an EPIC FAIL in Austin, Tx.

Say NO to Cap and Trade.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/07/12/0712greenchoice.html

How would you like new building codes to enforce these?

solar panels
rainwater collection systems
geothermal pumps
pedestal squat toilets instead of conventional toilets
bidets instead of toilet paper
ramps instead of staircases
double-paned thermal windows

I figure they could just incorporate these into regular building codes so that all new buildings can have them. How about making new buildings that all commercial and industrial buildings have to have wind turbines and skylights to produce and save energy? I think big-box retail like shopping malls, outlet centers, and Wal-Marts, etc., should all have skylights so they won’t burn electricity during the day. They could even produce some for the grid with the wind generators. A lot of alternative energy isn’t taking place because the government isn’t enforcing it. If they put more teeth into it and put deadlines, I think that this would be the greatest thing since sliced bread. I know my hometown Austin, Texas, has an aggressive plan to make all new buildings go solar. How does this sound to?
I’ve read building codes. Now every building has to have indoor plumbing and a bathroom. They can’t have an outhouse by a house or building. I figure it would be awesome to enforce these, too. If anyone is interested in knowing about the squat toilets I mentioned, here is a website.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Pedestal-squat-toilet.jpg
Thank you for introducing that idea of stone homes. That is fabulous. Have you heard of earthship houses? They’re houses that are made out of recycled tires, and beer bottles. They’re self-sustaining houses. Here is the website if you want to check it out.

www.earthship.org

What is a good documentary on local sustainable food/economy?

Anyone know of a good film about a success story involving a community and their experience with local/sustainable food and/or revitalizing a community by focusing on the local economy (businesses, agriculture, etc.). Thanks in advance!

What is the sustainable food movement?

In detail what the movement is, and what does it do?

What does sustainable mean?

What did sustainable food production allow in early history?

What is sustainable food? I keep reading in the papers that we should eat sustainable food, but what is it?

What plants do I need to plant to have a sustainable source of food in a climate with no winter?

So that I don’t have to buy food anymore.
And how many, which is most important. Let’s say, either in a backyard or inside the house.