The World is Going Electric - no wait - Just China

China is planning to invest $1.5 billion annually in electric vehicles, starting with trial taxi services in Shenzhen and Hangzhou. If all goes as planned, they'll have 500,000 electric vehicles throughout the country by 2015.

An electric taxi in Shenzhen, China

Although the cost of these vehicles is still extremely high - 80% more than its carbon counterparts, the government's unique approach to integrating electric car technologies into society may prove to be just what the industry needs. Their system exposes people to electric car technology without requiring them to make the initial investment. Instead, their 3 yuan fuel surcharge is waived, and trips in these taxis are actually cheaper, incentivizing ridership. Furthermore, these taxi services require the construction of charging stations, which provide necessary infrastructure for the expansion of individual electric vehicle usage.

Yet, it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing. Safety issues have plagued taxis in Hangzhou, and individual consumers still aren't buying electric vehicles.

That said, putting these vehicles on the road and collecting performance and user data will undoubtedly lead to greater testing and improvements. As a result, electric vehicles may become both safe and cost competitive.

Cards that Grow, Literally

I always get a weird feeling when environmental groups hand out flyers. Sometimes, I'm annoyed: "No, I do not want another random piece of paper that I'm going to throw away before I even get home. Or, it's guilt: "I pretend to be an environmentalist but please take my flier even though I know you're going to throw it away before you get home".

PROBLEM SOLVED!

A plantable business card

It's called plantable paper, and it comes in the form of business cards (Think of the networking conversations this could spark!), fliers, invitations, post cards, and more. Just add water (and soil if you have it) and voila!

Seeds range from wildflowers all the way to the edibles like basil and chives

I'm SO doing these if/when I get married!

Thanks for the heads up Brooke! These are pretty sweet.

Chicago is One Step Ahead

"Chicago is often called the Second City, but it is way out in front of most in terms of adaptation" -Leslie Kaufman

Chicago is preparing for climate change.

Score for permeable pavement!

Cube-tastic

A tour of the Cube from Mike Page on Vimeo.

Imagine if they stacked these in NY. I have at least one friend who would benefit from this efficient use of space.

thanks Sasha =)

Natural Gas Isn't Perfect. Shocker.

I know it's old news, but I've been ill.

Natural gas may not be as "clean" a fossil fuel as once imagined. We all know that natural gas (methane) is over 20 times as powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2, and now, a report out of Cornell shows that natural gas mining, fracking in particular, may release enough methane to make it more harmful than coal. It's safe to say that T. Boone Pickens probably wasn't too happy.

A comparison of GHG emissions from various fossil fuels over a 20 year period. From NYTimes Tom Zeller's blog post.

To me, this study doesn't render natural gas unworthy. Instead, it serves as an incentive for the industry to improve their practices so that natural gas may facilitate our move toward renewable energy.

Dishwashing: Man vs. Machine

I always held the general impression that using machines and being green were inherently incompatible. When it comes to the battle between dishwasher and man, my friends tend to agree: some said hand washing was definitely greener and some, one of which referenced the "heated dry" function, were torn. However, contrary to popular belief, manual labor, conveniently, may not be the answer.

Collin Dunn did a detailed comparison of EnergyStar dishwashers and hand washing. I've adapted some of his analysis in order to compare hand washing to conventional dishwashers. Water and energy use for hand washing was determined assuming [warm] water use equivalent to that in a dishwasher cycle. For example, 54 dishes (the typical capacity of a dishwasher) washed in 6 gallons of water (the typical amount of water consumed in a dishwasher) means that only 1.75 cups of water from the faucet can be used per dish. If fewer dishes need to be washed, say 27 dishes, then the equivalent water use would be 3.7 cups per dish.

These numbers may seem confusing. Reference Dunn's article for more detailed calculations.

Moral of the story? When you have a large number of dishes piled up, go for the dishwasher. It's usually more efficient in terms of water use. Because energy use is heavily dependent on your type of dishwasher and water heater, comparing the two is a crapshoot. If you turn off heated dry, the odds will probably strongly favor dishwashers. If you only have a few dishes and can't wait to fill up the dishwasher, hand wash them. Below are some ways you can make each method more efficient.

For dishwasher tips, go here. To learn more handwashing tips, try this site. Also, learn why pre-rinsing is bad.

There are also a bunch of studies that back up these findings (and may favor dishwashers even more). Here are a few:

Rodale.

R. Stamminger (2006) at UBonn. 

Kegs or Cans?

College students are known for their inspiring idealism and frugality. Yet, when it comes to our night (or day) time buzz, idealism fades to apathy, and frugality morphs into extravagance. Don't tell me you've never regretfully looked at your account balance on Saturday morning. But, before the buzz hits in and good judgement is still within reach, we can make decisions that  protect both our virtuosity AND our bank accounts.

Inspired by a conversation I had tonight, I decided to look into the pros and cons of cans vs a keg. It may seem like the obvious winner, on both fronts, is a keg. BUT, it's not so simple.

Yes, a keg is reusable. It can serve almost 27,000 12oz beers in it's lifetime. It's constant reuse makes it a great choice. If everyone were using glass cups or reusing Solo cups, it would be a done deal. Unfortunately, Solo cups are not only  used once but are also made of polystyrene (#6), which is next to impossible to recycle. The closest place to Evanston that picks these cups up is in Rolling Meadows (17 mi away). Check your area here.

Aluminum, on the other hand, is practically perfect. While one can requires around 8.5x more energy to produce, each recycled can saves 95% of the energy needed to make a new one. Beer by the can is also a clear winner in terms of cost and convenience (see below)

Prices are based on Keystone Light from Evanston 1st Liquors 3/01/11. Here is a comparison in terms of sustainability. Keep in mind though, that plastic is lighter than aluminum, so it will be less energy intensive to transport.

If you are planning on recycling, cans are the clear winner both Earth and pocket-wise. However, the best choice is always to brew your own beer and reuse old glass bottles. It reduces waste and transportation. If that sounds like a pain, go out and hit the tap (glasses only)!

Fish Food for the Soul

Up until the last few years, I didn't have to worry about where my fish came from because I didn't eat them. My recent affinity for our underwater friends has made me think more deeply about the sustainability, or lack thereof, of the fishing industry. In the last 50 years, poor fishing practices have caused an incredible decline in fish abundance. As a result, the industry actually earns $50 billion/yr less less than it could. Our lack of foresight endangers the future of big fish, particularly those that are difficult to farm.

"The big fish, the bill fish, the groupers, the big things will be gone. It is happening now. If things go unchecked, we'll have a sea full of little horrible things that nobody wants to eat. We might end up with a marine junkyard dominated by plankton.” - Dr. Daniel Pauly

It's up to us to make the right consumer choices. Instead of eating Atlantic bluefin tuna whose population has been reduced 90% since the 70's, masticate on some yellowfin/blackfin tuna, albacore, or wahoo (that's what you'll be saying when you try it). Replace Chilean sea bass (fishing of which threatens many other species) with Alaskan sablefish, aka black cod.  Farm-raised shrimp and sturgeon are great alternatives to their wild counterparts. For more subs to popular seafood, check this out.  Below are some notes to guide your seafood/sushi decisions.

Thanks to Greenpeace's supermarket seafood sustainability scorecard, Target was honored for their eco-consciousness, and retailers like Trader Joe's and Costco were motivated to increase the sustainability of their stocks.

Sustainable Seafood Guidelines (courtesy of the Monteray Bay Aquarium). Download regional pocket guides here.

Sustainable Sushi Guidelines

Damned Dams

Dams have been supplying water and controlling floods for hundreds of years. But what happens with they fail?

In 1889, the Johnstown dam in Pennsylvania broke, killing over 2,200 people. Above is an illustration of the break and a picture of the devastation. Currently, roughly 5% (or 4,400) of dams in the US are considered safety hazards.  Fixing these dams would cost billions of dollars, money that we don't have. Therefore, in order to deal with these comprised dams, officials have reduced holding levels and developed evacuation plans.. After the Gulf oil spill, I'm not convinced these interim measures are enough. A huge unexpected storm (the result of climate change, of course) could open the floodgates.

From an environmental standpoint, the construction of dams was a horrible idea. They disturb essential habitat and block paths for fish like salmon, which swim up river to reproduce. They disrupt natural erosion and sedimentation cycles, destroy wetlands, and alter temperature regimes.

However, dams made place for cities to flourish, and if they were to break, thousands of lives would be at risk. Also, the billions of gallons of water released from a break would not only carry an enormous amount of debris and sediment but also accumulated lead, mercury,  PCBs, nitrogen, and (guess what.) invasive species. The environmental consequences could be devastating to areas downstream, and a return to the ecosystems of old may be impossible. However, it has been shown that dam removal can help restore wetlands, temperatures, and salmon pathways.

So, do we remove the dams? Do we wait for something to happen? Or, do we fix them?

Do You Ever Feel Like a Plastic Bag...Ready to Start Again?

going with the green chem theme. (Thanks Rosh!)

A Pipette Tip Has the Lifespan of a Mayfly

Pipette tips in stunning blue

I recently purchased a 1000 bag of pipette tips, the disposable plastic tips to micropipettes. They're one use only. In order to make 25 standard solutions, I can use upwards of 50 of these little guys. Multiply that by years of lab work by millions of people around the world and what do you get? A crapload of oil-based plastic waste that's either landfilled or worse, sent to an incinerator as hazardous waste. In some cases, these tips are sterilized before use, which requires high temperatures and even more petroleum.

The case of the poor pipette tip brings me to question the wastefulness of science research in general. The concept of green chemistry implores engineers and chemists to design more sustainable processes. However, the research required to establish these processes is wasteful in and of itself. The term "environmental researcher" is an oxymoron. We're hypocrites. We use chemicals derived from petroleum, metals that have been mined, and one-use vials and test tubes: all of which are delivered in excessively padded boxes 4 sizes too large.

An issue with university research, in particular, is that students are constantly moving into and out of labs. What happens to the leftover chemicals? They sit in cabinets until some curious person sees that the faded brown label sporting an expiry date from 10 years ago. My first thought, whenever I see one of those bottles, is that I'm going to die, either from the fumes or from an explosion. "RIP Ritu Gopal: young life taken by poorly inventoried lab cabinet." Why do these chemicals sit around for so long? One reason is that no one needed them. Another is that unless someone's lab is well inventoried, supplies can be forgotten and the items repurchased, creating a surplus of various glassware and chemicals.

With the exception of forgotten materials, the biggest reasons for wastefulness in research are safety and accuracy. The question is, where can we make the compromises? Safety is priority #1 and always will be, and there's no point to research if the results aren't valid. What do you think are some ways to safely reduce our waste? Is it possible?

Here are some resources I found. The search didn't turn up much:
MIT's list of green suppliers
Basic advice for greening your lab
From a wider perspective

If you have access to NU VPN or a subscription to Science, definitely check this out: This Man Wants to Green Your Lab

Thanks Brooke for giving me the idea to vent my frustration.

Eyes are Opening to the Potential of Sludge

Sludge from wastewater treatment plants is often dried and landfilled. But why? It's carbon rich. It's nutrient rich. It holds endless possibility. Finally, New York City is giving it a chance.

By allowing acetogenic and methanogenic microbes to digest the sludge, biogas (methane+CO2) is produced

What are some things sludge is good for?

FERTILIZER: sludge has high levels of nitrates, phosphates, and sulfates, which are essential for crop growth. Billions of dollars are spent on these types of fertilizers every year. Note: Direct application of sludge to fields can cause contamination of ground and surface waters.

ENERGY: Through anaerobic digestion (see diagram), sludge can be converted to methane gas. Energy can also be obtained by incineration.

ALGAE/BACTERIA: Biological mechanisms of obtaining useful products, such as energy, often require the nutrients that sludge provides.

What Rising Temperatures Mean for Biodiversity Loss

Don't let the upcoming "snowstorm of the decade" make you forget that global temperatures are actually rising.

Both orang-utans and tigers are severely threatened by climate change

It is estimated that between 20-30% of the world's biodiversity could be lost in the next 100 years. Forget polar bears. Rainforest creatures will have to relocate hundreds of miles. Mountainous animals will have nowhere cooler to go. Think about what this will do genetic diversity, which provides tremendous insight for pharma and biochem research.

The WWF lists a few of the species threatened by climate change.

Masdar: "Source" of Hope in the Middle of the Desert?

Street Design in Masdar

Masdar, loosely meaning "source" in Arabic, is a city in Abu Dhabi that was formed in hopes of creating "the world's first zero-carbon city". While Masdar will probably never reach that status, the city's designers have some solid plans on how to make the city more sustainable. In order to decrease automotive traffic and increase walkability, the architects have employed traditional Arab design. Narrow streets surrounded by permeable walls limit direct sunlight while also allowing cool winds to circulate. A new twist on the traditional Arabic wind tower also helps distribute ambient air through the streets. The combination of these things is supposedly capable of reducing street temperature to 70F. Windows have angled shades so that buildings can be naturally lit with minimal heat gain. In order to reduce Masdar's energy footprint, they've enlisted an incredible amount of solar panels.

However, in order for Masdar to become energy efficient, residents will have to do the same things as the rest of us: change their behavior. A 50% reduction in energy use means everyone in Masdar needs to up their thermostat to 77F.

Green Weddings: How to Make Your Big Day More Sustainable

As a Punjabi, a wedding isn't a wedding unless it has the 3 F's: food, family, and most importantly, fab. This past summer, I went to my first wedding in India, where low prices easily transform a grand wedding into something other-worldly. My cousin's outdoor wedding was by far the most luxurious event I've ever attended. Think Indian princess fairytale straight out of Platinum Weddings:1000+ guests, 3 elegantly adorned stages (one that rotated), a marching band, unrelenting dhol players, a disco-esqe dance floor, fireworks, mendhi sessions, and food stalls that served everything from fried-in-front-of-you samosas to kulfi and gulab jamun. If the US added as many jobs as my cousin's wedding, it would mean the end of unemployment. As if that wasn't enough, scattered around the grounds were live feed LCD monitors showcasing guests and activities and large misting fans offering respite from the sweltering Indian summer. The whole affair gave me an inferiority complex. Even the horse was decked out of my price range. Luckily, the camera and video crew, with their blinding lights, didn't fail to make me feel like a movie star.

Entryway to an Indian wedding. Although not my cousin's, it's a good representation.

I wouldn't blame you if you want that. Katy Perry and Russell Brand were all over it.

Despite how amazing the wedding was, it made me feel guilty. The cost of luxury is not simply monetary. Lights, fans, and screens require loads of energy. Flowers require water, land, and transportation. Leftover food and decorations end up in landfills. Fireworks pollute. The ultimate lesson? Less is more.

Here are some things you can do:

1. Reuse your grandmother's ring. Diamonds come with immense social and environmental costs. Have you seen Blood Diamond? If you don't have a heirloom, buy your ring from an eco-conscious supplier.
2. Buy local. This includes food, drinks, and decorations. See if there is a green caterer in your area.
3. Make it an intimate affair. Inviting fewer guests will have the greatest impact in terms of reducing your footprint. Fewer people means less of everything, particularly transportation.
4. Use less paper. Start a website as a way to spread information, and send e-mail invitations. Another, more traditional option is to use unbleached paper printed with eco-ink.
5. Location, location, location. Transportation can give an otherwise green wedding a sasquatch-sized environmental footprint. Skip the destination wedding, and choose a place that is close to the majority of your guests. Also, minimize travel by selecting a hotel near the wedding venue. Finally, consider a local bachelor/bachelorette party.
6. Honeymoon Road Trip. In terms of carbon emissions, flights are awful. Try honeymooning somewhere that is accessible by car or train.
7. Go outdoors. Daytime, outdoor weddings eliminate the need for lighting and air conditioning.
8. Avoid disposables. Trade paper plates and plastic knives for rentable plate-ware.
9. Eat vegetarian. In the US, livestock is responsible for 35% of methane emissions, which is 20 times more powerful than CO2 as a global warming gas.
10. Donate leftover food. Find a shelter, church, or community kitchen in the area, and help some people out.
11. The gift of giving. - Don't register for gifts you don't need or want. Instead, plant some trees, or ask for donations to a cause you believe in.
12. Decorate with fruit or paper flowers. Flowers are often imported (lengthy transport) and laden with pesticides. They're expensive, too. By decorating with fruit, you have something guests can take home. If you want to go traditional, try organic local flowers.
13. Try recycled. Why not buy someone else's used decorations? It might be too much to ask, but consider buying a used wedding dress, too. No one will notice, and it's like prom: you'll only wear it once.
14. Invest in renewable energy. Work with your area energy provider to see if you can use renewable energy for the event. Some providers, like ComEd, offer credits for a small fee.

Ready to judge your wedding?
-Calculate the carbon footprint of guest travel, or, get more in depth with a comprehensive footprint calculator.
-Here are some testimonials of couples who've tried to green their own weddings.

Unexplained: Thousands of Birds and Fish Found Dead

Washed up fish near Chesapeake Bay in Maryland

Birds are falling from the sky and fish are washing onto shore. From Sweden to New Zealand to Arkansas, people are reporting some pretty bizarre phenomena. Fireworks could be the cause for SOME of the bird deaths, but the rest are unexplained. Could global warming be the culprit?