Dying is certainly one of the most natural acts in the world, although most of us would rather not think about the connection. The natural cycle of life on earth since the beginning of time involves the returning of dead organisms to the soil, and ultimately being recycled into new life. If you are an advocate of green living, green dying makes perfect sense. But what does it mean to have a green funeral, or burial?

A green (or natural) burial involves ensuring that the burial site is as natural as possible. No embalming fluid is used, and interment of the body done in a bio-degradable casket, shroud, or special blanket. The body is placed into the earth without the use of chemicals, concrete or other resources, and native plants and trees placed above the final resting place. Typically, you will have to find a cemetary that specializes in green burials, as burial generally has many laws and restrictions due to the fact that you are dealing with a body, thus it is critical to ensure that your plan is legal.

Here are some annual statistics for burials in the United States that frankly can make you cringe. These materials are buried in the ground each year in the U.S. alone:

• 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid
• 90,272 tons of steel (caskets)
• 30 million cubic feet of hardwood (caskets)
• 2700 tons of copper and bronze (caskets)
• 1,636,000 tons of concrete (vaults)

Green is definitely “in”, a buzzword with a variety of meanings for each individual conservationist. A little bit of internet research using keywords “green funerals” or “green burials” indicates that these are growing trends, and are catching on in popularity nationwide. Perhaps one of the most eco-friendly ways to handle your last wishes is cremation, which is the choice of many individuals these days.  Both a natural burial and cremation are more eco-friendly, and generally cost-effective ways to handle the end-of-life process than traditional burial.

For more information about green burials, go to the Green Burial Council website, which is a non-profit organization supporting sustainable green burials. Another excellent resource available to readers is the Centre for Natural Burial.

Readers, have you known anybody who has had a natural burial? Were they satisfied with the outcome (LOL)? OK, I guess we can’t answer that, but how did you feel about the choice?

Cindy Green Living cremation, eco-friendly burial, green burial, green cemetary, green dying, green funeral, green living, natural burial

First plastic, now paper bags are the latest target for San Francisco lawmakers.

This past week, San Francisco Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi introduced legislation that would require grocery stores and supermarkets to provide a 10-cent rebate for individuals who bring in their own re-useable bags. Mirkarimi is the same legislator that championed the infamous plastic grocery bag ban several years back, which created quite the stir at the time, but has been since accepted and successfully adopted by a number of other U.S. cities as well. His latest proposal would affect roughly 135 businesses in the San Francisco area, and would also boldly impose a fine of $100 to $500 for stores that are found to not be complying with the rebate requirement.

It is estimated that 14 million trees are utilized each year in the United States to manufacture paper grocery bags. Reduction of this waste of a precious natural resource is the catalyst for the proposed legislation, according to Mirkarimi. Studies show that both plastic and paper bags impact the environment negatively, both using natural resources and contributing to greenhouse gas production in their their manufacture, transportation, and disposal. While the studies generally conclude that paper bags produce a less signficant litter problem, plastic bags consume less energy and water in their manufacture, and result in less pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions.

While both plastic and paper have evils associated with them, the clear solution is recyclable, reuseable grocery bags. These are generally available at nearly all grocery stores and supermarkets, for a nominal fee or even free in some cases. I know that my local Bashas store here in Phoenix, AZ already provides a nickel rebate per bag. Once you have your bags, the biggest challenge (for me, anyway!)  is remembering to bring them in the store each time.

For more information about the great “paper versus plastic” debate, read this article.

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If you are old enough (like me), you remember the Mazda commercial where a clunker car makes all these funky noises and then the jingle finishes with “and the Mazda goes …. hmmmmm”. So when Mazda Motors delivered their first Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid to a Japanese company earlier this year, it brought back some memories of the rotary engine and the snazzy Mazda RX-7 sports car that I almost bought when I was 19.

The Premacy is the first hybrid vehicle to feature a rotary engine, a lithium-ion battery and electric hybrid system, and the abilitiy to run on either gasoline or hydrogen. Mazda developed its first hydrogen rotary engine in 1991 along with a hydrogen powered MX-5 Miata in 1993, so the technology is not new to them. Mazda also manufactures the RX-8, a hydrogen vehicle that was developed specifically for participation in HyNor, Norway’s national hydrogen project. The project involves installing a network of hydrogen filling stations along a 360 mile stretch of highway in Norway between Oslo and Stavanger, and was initiated in late 2007 as a collaboration between Mazda and HyNor.

More recent Mazda news indicates that they plan to raise over a billion dollars in a share sale in order to fund further development of hybrid vehicles, citing the desire to become more competitive with industry leaders Toyota and Honda as part of the catalyst. In early October Mazda announced it would offer 363 million new shares to investors, fueled by a rebound of their stock which has recovered from its March lows, up nearly 60%.

The company indicates that it will spend a little over half of the capital raised on technological innovation. Goals include plans to increase fuel efficiency of its fleet by 30% by 2015, implement improved performance of petrol-burning internal combustion engines and introducing next-generation drives.

Mazda Motors plans to show a prototype hybrid passenger car in Tokyo this month, and has plans to begin sales of the hybrid by 2011. According to the company, they have begun negotiations with Toyota to possibly supply the hybrid components for the new hybrid.

We at altfuelsnow.com enjoy hearing the news that investments in the future are being made by car companies, so kudos to Mazda. Readers, don’t you agree? Any other car company news to share?

Cindy Cars hybrid, hybrid cars, Hybrid Vehicles, hydrogen car, mazda, mazda hybrid, rotary engine

Are you a video gaming nut or simply a collector of home electronics gadgetry? Bet you didn’t know how much juice these items can drain, even when they are not actively in use. There are some ways that you can reduce the energy usage, and ultimately cost, of operating gaming consoles and other home electronics, so read on!

I know I am guilty of this, I tend to leave my home computer (make that two, a laptop and a desktop) on more than I should. I’ve gotten better about it, but I think it is a function of being forgetful and just not paying attention. By shutting these monsters off when not in use, not only do you save on the useful life of the electronics, but you’ll save money through energy savings.

You’ll want to make it a habit to turn the power off on all electronics and appliances when not in use, but simply flipping the power switch is just not enough. Not only should home computers be completely shut down, but they should be plugged in to a single surge protected power strip, separate from other electronics. Large home electronic items that require bulbs should have these replaced with energy efficient bulbs.

Even large appliances like microwave ovens and televisions tend to “store up energy” when they are not in use, and often the energy consumed during this non-use (or storage) period can be more than when they are actually in use! Simply by unplugging them, or shutting off the power supply to these larger appliances when not in use can save energy.

If you are a video game lover, you may want to consider energy efficient home game consoles. Gaming consoles that operate as high-definition video players such as Microsoft Xbox 360 or Sony Playstation 3 use more energy than the Nintendo Wii, due to the higher graphic intensity of these games. Downgrading to a handheld gaming device such as the popular PSP or Nintendo DS will save a significant amount of energy, and be more flexible for the operator.

There are many simple steps that can be taken to minimize the power consumption of the electronic devices we use in our everyday lives. Use these tips to save a few dollars while living a little greener lifestyle.

For a thorough list of low and no-cost ways to save energy around your home, read this article.

Cindy Conservation energy consumption home electronics, green living, minimize power consumption, reduce electric bill, save energy, Save Money

Considering the benefits and incentives associated with the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, the optimum time for homeowners to replace old, inefficient, worn out windows may well be now.

The legislation provides homeowners the opportunity to claim a 30 percent tax credit of the cost of energy efficient products which have been deemed eligible for remodeling and replacement projects. A tax credit is a direct reduction in an individual’s tax liability for a given year, thus can be deducted directly from taxes owed to the IRS that year. The bill allows for a maximum credit of $1500 for the years 2009 and 2010 combined for energy-efficient remodeling or replacement projects. 

So what is the criteria for choosing replacement windows (or doors) that will qualify for the tax incentives? It is important to confirm that the energy-efficient windows you choose to replace your older versions will be covered by the tax credit. Windows are typically “graded” or rated using two measurements, a heat loss parameter call the U-Factor, and a heat gain parameter call the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC). The door or window that you choose must have a U-Factor and SHGC rating of 0.30 or less to meet the criteria required to qualify for the tax credit, and this rating must apply to all climate zones in the United States. Typically, there will be a label on the product which defines the U-Factor and SHGC ratings for that particular window or door, giving the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) information for that item. If the product does not have this label, it likely does not have a certified NFRC value — and the NFRC label (or a Manufacturer’s Certification Statement) will be required to be submitted with your tax documents when you file your tax credit claim (along with your sales receipt).

To take advantage of the tax credit for replacing old windows, you must purchase and install a qualifying window in your primary residence between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010. Only the costs of the windows (or doors) themselves are eligible for the credit, not the installation costs, so be sure to separate the charges on any sales receipts that are necessary for submission to the IRS.

Given that the federal government has made it less expensive for homeowners to implement upgrades to their primary residences that will save energy (not to mention money), now is certainly an excellent time to consider replacing windows. Readers, have any of you taken advantage of this program? If so, please share your experiences with a comment!

Cindy Conservation American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, energy efficient remodeling, energy efficient tax credit, NFRC Label, replace windows, replacement windows

It isn’t exactly a beauty pageant, but nonetheless an excellent honor for the 4-wheeled hunks (of steel) that have been nominated for this award this year. According to a news release by the Green Car Journal, their five finalists for the annual green car of the year award ARE…. (drum roll, please) …. the Honda Insight, Audi A3 TDI, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Golf TDI, and the Mercury Milan Hybrid. Of the five finalists, three are hybrids and two are diesels, the Audi and the Golf.

The Green Car Journal, a leading automotive environmental magazine, has been sponsoring this annual award since 2005 and each year it grows in its popularity and significance as consumer awareness, interest and demand for more fuel efficient and environmentally conscious vehicles continues to grow.

So what exactly is the judging criteria? Hopefully, the scoring system isn’t as complex as that used to calculate a consumer’s credit score, but we will trust that the system they use is a fair judgement of value versus functionality versus environmental impact. According to the Green Car Journal, the staff first selects the five finalists based on research and driving experience, among a number of other factors. The finalists are selected from among the year’s new models that stand out as environmentally friendly vehicles in multiple ways, including high fuel economy, zero emissions, unique usage of renewable or reclaimed materials, or a number of other environmentally conscious features. Once the finalists have been selected, the award is actually determined by votes from a rather long list of select individuals considered to be highly knowledgeable experts in relevant fields, including Matt Peterson of Global Green USA, car fanatic Jay Leno, and Carl Pop of the Sierra Club.

The winner will be announced December 3 during the press days at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The show opens to the public on December 4, 2009, and runs until December 13.

Cindy Cars environmentally friendly vehicles, finalists annual green car of the year, green car journal, green cars, hybrid cars, los angeles auto show

The design parameters for batteries have remained pretty standard throughout modern history: strive for as much power as you can pack into the smallest space, for the least amount of money. Straightforward, no? Yet the strides that have been made particularly with the power offered by nuclear technology are incredible, and size of the batteries continue to shrink to previously unfathomable levels.

Imagine a battery that is thinner than a human hair? We may be there shortly, according to Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri,the goal likely will come to fruition through the utilization of different (yet untested) materials in the design.

Kwon and his scientific research team at the University of Missouri have been working on building a small nuclear battery, currently the size and thickness of a penny, that may be capable of holding a million times more charge than standard batteries. The nuclear battery is designed to drive micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (M/NEMS), and the aim of the research to develop a longer lasting power source for tiny sensors, actuators, and labs-on-a-chip.

From the University’s News Bureau:

The innovation is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor. Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor.

“The critical part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said. “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem.”

Cindy Battery Technology Battery Technology, Jae Kwon, nuclear battery, nuclear energy, Nuclear Power, smaller nuclear battery, University of Missouri research

Certainly pageant competitions of all kinds have had their share of controversy over the years, although I can’t say whether the “Miss Earth” pageant is included among them. The concept of a pageant also known as “Beauties With a Cause” is certainly an interesting twist on traditional contests, and how to showcase and “judge” the contestants passion and accomplishments as far as environmental awareness and causes is most certainly one of the challenges faced by the organizers. 

The goal of the Miss Earth competition according to show director and national organizer Evan Skow,  is to “reinvent the concept of the pageant” by having the participants focus on the environment. The Miss Earth competition began in 2001, and has grown to become one of the largest international pageants in the world.  According to the organizers website, the the Miss Earth pageant was the first and only pageant solely dedicated to the protection and preservation of our environment.

The most recently crowned “environmental beauty queen” is Amy Diaz, a native of Dominica, with her U.S.A. hometown being Providence, Rhode Island. No stranger to pageant life, Diaz was Miss Rhode Island Teen USA in 2001, and earned the title a Miss Rhode Island in 2008. The past July 22, she was crowned Miss Earth USA. Diaz feels as though she has roots from her past that instilled environmental values, stemming from her youth in Dominica, where her parents gardened for food, washed clothes by hand, and did without other basic comforts. She states “For me, it really was going back to who I was as a person and my core values instilled in me by my parents.”

The international competition certainly sounds a little more involved than a traditional pageant. The competition begins on November 1, 2009, where the 100+ delegates will congregate for approximately one month at a village in the Phillipines. During their stay at the village, they are observed continuously by “undercover” judges, in order to obtain truly indicative scores which reflect their true personality. Other activities include performances utilizing eco-friendly wardrobe, photo shoots, various social events, and tree plantings.

The actual formal competition is scheduled for November 22. The National delegates will be judged in five separate phases of the competition, similar to conventional pageants. These phases are:

• Confidence in Interview
• Personality in Swimsuit
• Elegance in Evening gown
• Overall Impression
• Environmental Awareness

As part of a special presentation show, each delegate will be interviewed on her environmental awareness and how this crisis affects her own community, with emphasis on her ability to convey her passion, thoughts and ideas. Which, of course, we feel is really the most important part of the entire Miss Earth concept.

For pictures of Miss Earth 2009 Amy Diaz, as well as information about the pageant, go to their homepage at  http://www.earthpageantproductions.com/Home_Page.html.

Cindy Green Living Amy Diaz, Beauties with a cause, environmental beauty queen, green pageant, Miss Earth, Miss Earth USA

Engineers at Purdue University have once again proved their talents at researching and problem solving, announcing a new discovery related to how fluid boils in the small microchannels that are inherent in hybrid and electric car design. The new research will help engineers design more efficient, effective systems for cooling the power-hungry electronic systems in hybrid and electric cars, as well as other applications such as computers and airplanes.

The new research will be documented in a white paper by Purdue University doctoral student Tannaz Harirchian and Professor Surush Garimella, and the findings presented at a scientific conference scheduled for October in Leuven, Belgium.

The researchers have determined precisely how fluid boils in tiny “microchannels,” creating formulas and models that will help engineers design systems to cool high-power electronics in electric and hybrid cars, aircraft, computers, and other applications. Specifically, the new information will help engineers to design more efficient cooling systems to prevent overheating of high-power devices used in hybrid and electric vehicles, namely insulated gate bipolar transistors. These high powered switching transistors are required to drive electric motors, their function to switch the large quantity of power from the battery pack to the electric coils, which is key to the acceleration performance of the vehicle (zero to 60 mph in 10 seconds or less). Additionally, these devices play a large role in the function of regenerative braking, which is the process where the electric motors provide generation of power to brake the vehicle, while also recharging the battery. In turn, the regenerated power is used to convert electrical current to run the vehicles accessories as well as converting alternating to to direct current to charge the battery pack from a plug in connection.

The research effort has been funded by Indiana’s 21st Century Research and Technology fund, who has given Purdue University and Delphi Corporation $1.9 million in funds to pursue commercialization of the improved cooling system technology for hybrid and electric cars. Additional funding partners include a consortium of corporations and various government and academic laboratories, as well as the National Science Foundation Cooling Technologies Research Center located at Purdue University.

Cindy Hybrid Cars Electric Vehicles, hybrid cooling, hybrid design, hybrid research, hybrid technology, hybrids, PHEV

A typical suburbia family in New York does a radical life change, goes green to the extreme, and writes a book and makes a movie about it. Probably not something we hear about on a regular basis, generally those that have embraced the green lifestyle seem to break into it slowly, and then get hooked. That is what makes this story interesting, I suppose.

The family agreed to try an eco-living experiment, consisting of a zero-impact lifestyle, for one year. The gentleman’s name is Colin Beavan, and he become dubbed the “No Impact Man”, and his wife Michelle Conlin and two year old daughter were included (by default perhaps) in the sustainable living event. Starting in 2006, the no impact man began blogging and regularly sharing with the media information regarding his experiences. He wrote a book and is releasing a documentary film about the effort, entitled “No Impact Man”. Here is a snip-it from the website describing the project:

A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons–loving wife along for the ride. And that’s just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man’s decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year—while still living in New York City—to see if it’s possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . . .

We did not see the film or read the book, but media and blog posts about the experiment indicate that their definition of “no impact lifestyle” is rather vague. There was no calculation of numbers to provide any measurable factor to establish how much (less) impact the lifestyle changes actually provided, thus the experiment was really a philosophical journey as opposed to a scientific one. Nonetheless, the simple changes that they made (as well as the “big” sacrifices) make for interesting human dynamics in the film, and some humor (and friction) is an obvious result.

For more information about the film or book, visit the no impact man website.

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An area in Southern California, dubbed the “biofuel beach” by scientists and locals, is drawing quite a following among the biotechnical companies that surround the area. The San Diego area currently has more than 200 biotech companies, a good number of them located in the La Jolla area, adjacent to Torrey Pines State Beach. All the companies have a common goal — that is, hoping to capitalize on finding an affordable way to create biofuel from algae. The area has a long history with the biofuel business, and its proximity to the ocean and sunshine makes it an ideal spot for the re-emerging interest in algae as a biofuel source.

A new research consortium was created in San Diego County in 2008, called the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, founded by the dean of biological sciences at UC San Diego, Steve A. Kay. The consortium is comprised of 16 founding partners seeking to unite and advance research on algae, and to “help clear barriers to commercializing algae biofuels by identifying new algae strains and harvesting methods.” The participants include not only biofuel companies but groups such as the Salk Institute for Biological studies and the Scripps Instititution of Oceanography, among others.

According to San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, the local economy is benefiting from the algae-related businesses, with estimates of approximately $33 million annually being fed back into the area economy, along with 300 or more jobs. San Diego based Sapphire Energy recently unveiled a plug-in vehicle that will run on algae-based gasoline, aptly named the “Algeaus”, while the United States Naval base in San Diego is testing algae-based fuel in airplanes.  

The biggest challenge is to reduce the cost of generating the algae-produced oil. Currently it is estimated that production costs may exceed $33 a gallon for algae-generated oil, compared to $5 a gallon for conventional gasoline. Although there is no guarantee that the research will provide answers that will make algae-generated oil a viable product in the future, it is certainly good news that there is this much interest and support for the technology.

Cindy Biofuels algae, algae-generated oil, biofuel beach, Biofuels, biotech, biotech companies

Toyota Prius

Toyota Motor Corporation recently announced that after testing lithium ion battery packs “secretly” in Prius vehicles for a three year period, it will remain with the existing nickel metal hydride battery technology in its hybrid fleet.

Testing apparently began in 2006, where 126 Prius Hatchbacks located in the United States, Europe and Japan were retrofitted with lithium ion battery packs in place of  the currently used nickel metal hydride batteries. Details of the study were not available according to a company spokesperson, but the president of California-based Advanced Automotive Batteries consulting firm indicates that the tests appear to be among the most thorough done by companies planning to potentially introduce the batteries.

Both nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries have their pros and cons, but the bottom line seems to be the cost versus duration and durability issue. Lithium-ion battery packs generally can hold twice the amount of energy that a nickel battery pack can maintain, yet costs significantly more. While Toyota’s lithium version performed well and gave “small” fuel-economy gains because of lighter weight, nickel is favored for conventional, mass-market hybrids for its cost, according to Toyota’s senior staff engineer for batteries.

Toyota is the top seller of hybrid vehicles in the world, and has sold more than 2 million hybrid cars and light trucks worldwide since introducing the Prius in Japan in 1997, with almost exclusive use of nickel metal hydride battery technology. Based on this latest round of tests, it sounds like this technology will continue to preside at least for the short term.

Readers, any opinions or thoughts on the choice of battery technology for hybrid vehicles going forward? Leave a comment and share if so!

Cindy Battery Technology, Hybrid Cars hybrid battery technology, hybrids, Lithium Ion Batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, prius, Toyota Motor Corp, Toyota Prius

People buy organic foods for a number of reasons. These reasons may include reducing the ingestion of pesticides and chemicals, avoidance of genetically modified foods (GMOs), or simply supporting local farming which does not pollute the environment with chemicals or expose farm workers to toxic materials. Or perhaps, simply for superior taste or the expectation of a higher quality of the food. But do we have to pay more money for these organic choices?

The good news is that there are ways to reduce costs and still eat an organic diet. With the economy in the sad shape that it has been for the past year or more, many people feel that they must make choices to eliminate certain more costly lifestyle expenses. Although in general going organic will likely always require more expense for the equivalent non-organic products, there are some modifications you can make to lessen the cost of this more healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle choice.

One of the most common organic products purchased is dairy items. Organic followers want to avoid consuming byproducts from cows that are treated with hormones and antibiotics, but organic products can cost twice as much or more. One less costly alternative is becoming more prevalent, as some dairies are providing products labeled “hormone-free” or “rBST-free” which are non-organic but at least do not contain these undesirable byproducts.

Another tip to tweak your food budget in favor of fresh foods is to pay closer attention to the quantities of perishable items you purchase. If the EPA is correct in its data that indicates Americans actually throw away over 25% of their food without using it, better planning can almost offset part of the increased cost we may spend for fresher, healthier pesticide-free foods from the local farmer’s market. And the local selections will most likely stay fresh longer, as they have not sat in trucks and processing plants for weeks before reaching your dinner table.

If you want to be selective and choose to go organic for just the items that give you “the most bang for your buck”, there are websites available that list all types of  produce and which selections typically contain the worst amounts (and “best”) of pesticide residue. One such website is available at FoodNews.org. Armed with this information, you can tailor your shopping lists to choose to pay the extra cost for organic produce that only has high levels, or eliminate these altogether if desired.

Finally, if you are still entertaining fast foods and highly processed foods in your culinary choices, consider cutting these out. Although they may seem like a less expensive alternative (not to mention easy), they offer little nutritional value. In the long run, take the extra time to prepare a fresh meal (even if it costs a few pennies more) and you will reap savings in other areas of your life in your health and energy levels.

Although there has been recent press that suggest that organic foods do not provide a higher level of nutrition than non-organic foods (see this study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), there are significant other benefits that support the choice of eating organic as a superior way of life. Organic eaters out there, how do your feel about the subject? Any ideas for reducing the expense that you can share with us via a comment?

Cindy Green Living genetically modified food, GMOs, organic diet, organic food, reduce pesticides and chemicals