Cities across America also need to emphasize the green practice of rejuvenating buildings rather than tearing them down. Stalled construction projects and senseless demolition leads to abandoned lots that could be easily converted into spaces for urban gardens. Practicing this kind of renovation adds to the beauty of the landscape and the resources of local communities.

Waste should also be closely monitored. Countless amounts of energy are expended each year recycling building material and discarded food. Encouraging programs that reuse and distribute viable goods before they head to the recycling centers or the landfills would save precious resources.

Source: Online Sociology Programs

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The post Cities Built to Thrive [infographic] appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

We found this cool infographic on visual.ly that will give you the top ten, as well as info on how some of our cities are going green.  Here they are, the most energy efficient states in the nation:

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The post Which US States are Greenest? [infographic] appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

surreynews / CC BY-ND 2.0

Plastic

Plastic is one of the most common items that people recycle. If you have a recycle pickup with your normal trash pick up, then you could simply place all of your plastic items into your container. If you need to bring your plastic to a recycle center, then they may require you to separate the plastic based on the number at the bottom of the bottle or container.

If you have plastic bags from laundromats or grocery stores, you can recycle these too. Keep in mind that many roadside recycle pickups will not accept these, but you can turn them in to your local grocery store.

Sunglasses, PVC pipes, DVD cases and other plastic items are also recyclable. You may want to call your recycle pickup to see if they accept these. If not, most drop-off recycling centers will.

Paper

Paper is the other most popular item that is recycled. This includes regular notebook and computer paper as well as newspapers and magazines. If you have a roadside pickup, these companies will take almost any type of paper product. If you don’t have a roadside pickup, your local recycle center will surely take your paper off your hands.

Glass

Glass is another popular item that can be recycled. You can typically recycle any glassware product through a roadside pickup or drop off recycle center, but if the glass contained a chemical, you may want to contact the recycle center first to determine if it’s acceptable. They may have to put that product through a separate process in order to ensure that it’s safe.

Aluminum

If you’re an avid pop drinker or if you recently took an aluminum roof off your old shed, make sure to recycle these items. Most recycle centers will accept all aluminum products, and some will even give you about five cents for every pound of aluminum you bring in to their facility.

Miscellaneous

There are plenty of other items that can be recycled that most people don’t realize. Acid batteries, cardboard and most building materials can also be recycled. Lead, oil, tires, yard waste and steel cans can be recycled into other useful products. Some roadside pickups will not accept these items, but your recycle center will usually take them separately.

Appliances can also be recycled because they’re made from recyclable materials. These products will generally need to be dropped off at a recycle center or a special pick-up arrangement will need to be made. If you can’t get your old appliances to a recycle center, you may also want to contact your electric company. ComEd will take your old appliances and recycle them properly, and they’ll also give you a small discount on your next bill because of it.

Guest Author:
Caroline Jones is in the process of going green and often shares recycling tips for large families via blogging.

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The post Recycling – What To Recycle And What To Do With It appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

Jeff Warren / CC BY-SA 2.0

LED is a good choice if you are looking to upgrade to something better than standard incandescent and CFL bulbs. Here are four reasons why.

1) They Burn Far Longer Than Other Choices

There is no denying that it is pretty annoying when you go to turn on a light and the bulb blows out. Well, that should happen far less often when you switch to products of the light-emitting diode variety. Each of these is supposed to last about 50,000 hours. CFLs can go for about 10,000 hours, while incandescent bulbs only burn for a measly 1,200.

2) They Cost Less Over the Long Run

While the upfront cost of LEDs is undoubtedly higher than other choices, they aren’t the most expensive option in the end.

You may pay about $35.95 upfront, whereas CFL bulbs are about $3.95 and incandescent choices are $1.25. However, you have to think about the amount of electricity used by each variety to determine which is the best value.

When you think about 50,000 hours as a standard measure of use, you would only need one LED, as opposed to five CFLs and 42 incandescent bulbs to burn for this length of time.

Also, they simply use less electricity than others. While incandescent products use about 3,000 kilowatts for a 50,000-hour span, CFLs use 700 and LED bulbs only use between 300 and 500.

3) They Aren’t Easily Breakable

One reason why LEDs last so long is that they aren’t easy to break. There are no fragile or moving parts inside, so they are far more durable than other bulbs. You can shake and vibrate them, and they also work well in both extremely cold and hot conditions. This is one reason why they’re increasingly used on moving vehicles.

4) They Cast a Pleasing Glow

Something many people dislike about fluorescent lighting is that it creates an eerie, unnatural-looking glow. LED lighting creates a daylight-mimicking luminescence that looks natural and bright. It’s often referred to as a “full spectrum” light.

Guest Author:
Jason enjoys writing about how to save energy. He has found, through research, that one of the best ways to save energy is with CFL bulbs. He was able to find this information at energyearth.com

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The post 4 Reasons To Switch From Standard Bulbs To LEDs appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

Seward Construction CO / CC BY 2.0

All types of wood flooring possess the aesthetic qualities desired by most buyers, who want the feel and look that only real wood can give. But there are some differences that need to be considered before investing in flooring. A real wood floor becomes a viable part of a business or home, because it is designed to last 40 to 100 years with the proper care.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is cut and milled into pieces that are 3/4 inches thick. This thickness enables the floor owner to sand and refinish the surface many times over the years, to change the stain color, or to buff out imperfections from wear.

A solid hardwood floor however, will be susceptible to moisture and temperature changes more than other types of flooring, making it prone to shrink and expand with the changing of seasons. This can cause warping, or gaps in the joints, if not installed properly. The knowledgeable installer will leave the necessary spacing – an expansion gap – where the floor meets the wall. Quarter round or other molding is normally used to cover the space to present a clean, formal appearance.

In producing solid wood floors, large harvests of trees are required. Mostly milled into a tongue and groove application, solid wood flooring is nailed to a wood sub-floor which has to be prepared for installation. While comparable in pricing with other flooring, the installation requirements make it an expensive choice. It is not recommended for basements, or any below grade installations because of the moisture problems in those areas.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Engineered hardwood flooring utilizes the latest in processing technology. Many thin layers of hardwood are placed crosswise, and forced to adhere together with bonding agents, heat and pressure. A thicker layer is placed on the top and finished. This gives engineered wood a greater structural stability for use in irregular environments, along with a usable lifetime equaling solid wood floors.

Engineered wood is less affected by changes in the climate with temperature, moisture and humidity, making it usable in areas where solid wood is not applicable. While not as thick as solid wood, the engineered flooring can still be refinished several times and most styles are wear-rated to last over 80 years, with the proper care.

Engineered flooring uses 1/4 the amount of wood needed to manufacture the same sized area of solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring saves costs, is less consumable of natural resources, and is indistinguishable in appearance when compared to solid wood. Installation is quicker than other flooring, with most brands having an interlocking system guaranteeing tight seams and neater looks. Engineered wood flooring is more versatile in installation methods. It can be nailed or glued, and some brands utilize a ‘Floating System’, having no means of permanent attachment to the sub-floor.

Maintenance And Care

All wood floors need to be cared for if longevity and a pleasing appearance are expected. Hardwood is great value for money, however if you want to spend the cash, you can use bamboo flooring which requires less maintenance and care, as it is 73% harder than Jarrah.

Inexpensive pads and soft furniture coasters provide protection when placed under chair and table legs. The furniture can then be used and moved about without marring the wood floor finish.

Sweeping and vacuuming keeps dirt and dust from dulling the natural beauty of the wood, and the flooring manufacturer will have recommended wood cleaner suggestions to get rid of those heel marks and scuffs. While solid wood sometimes requires waxing periodically, engineered wood flooring never needs waxing.

Wood floors compliment any decorating style, enhancing the motif and increasing the building value. For durability, versatility, and ease in application and care, engineered wood floors easily meet the challenge.

Author:
Jessica More has been involved in the flooring industry just over 10 years. She currently works as their research manager to improve the quality of flooring products internationally.

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The post Wood Flooring: The Natural Choice appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

If you liked these, you might want to take a look at the stunning green wall pictures we posted a couple of months ago.

Image credits:

Many thanks to the fantastic photographers who brought us these great images.

Earth Rangers CC BY-ND 2.0
Arlington County CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo Library CC BY 2.0
Arlington County CC BY-SA 2.0
Jeramey Jannene CC BY 2.0
Jeramey Jannene CC BY 2.0
Quinn Dombrowski – CC BY-SA 2.0
kafka4prez – CC BY-SA 2.0
Andrew – CC BY 2.0

By 20080708_Chicago_City_Hall_Green_Roof.JPG: TonyTheTiger derivative work: TonyTheTiger (20080708_Chicago_City_Hall_Green_Roof.JPG) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Green_Roof_at_Vend%C3%A9e_Historial,_les_Lucs.jpg

By Lamiot (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Evelyn Simak [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Renate Oberinger (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

WolfmanSF – CC BY-SA 3.0

By Picasdre (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Alyson Hurt from Alexandria, Va., USA (Flickr) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Pontafon (Photo created by Pontafon) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

By Rolf Lutz (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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The post Amazing Green Roof Images appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

We buy more American cars than we have in five years, and less foreign oil than we have in twenty.

The theme was, as promised, budget, economy, job creation and the principle of a growing and thriving middle class:

It is our generation’s task, then, to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class:

A growing economy that creates good, middle-class jobs – that must be the North Star that guides our efforts. Every day, we should ask ourselves three questions as a nation: How do we attract more jobs to our shores?

The President used investment in science and technology and its proven record of job creation to lead into energy policy. Energy independence, increased oil production, natural gas production. It was starting to look like more ‘all of the above’. But then it came….. and if the President means what he says and if he is prepared to stand up to those who choose to defy the “overwhelming judgment of science” then we do indeed like what we hear:

Yes, it’s true that no single event makes a trend. But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and floods – all are now more frequent and intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.

The good news is, we can make meaningful progress on this issue while driving strong economic growth. I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago. But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.

Four years ago, other countries dominated the clean energy market and the jobs that came with it. We’ve begun to change that. Last year, wind energy added nearly half of all new power capacity in America. So let’s generate even more. Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – so let’s drive costs down even further. As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we.

In the meantime, the natural gas boom has led to cleaner power and greater energy independence. That’s why my Administration will keep cutting red tape and speeding up new oil and gas permits. But I also want to work with this Congress to encourage the research and technology that helps natural gas burn even cleaner and protects our air and water.

Indeed, much of our new-found energy is drawn from lands and waters that we, the public, own together. So tonight, I propose we use some of our oil and gas revenues to fund an Energy Security Trust that will drive new research and technology to shift our cars and trucks off oil for good. If a non-partisan coalition of CEOs and retired generals and admirals can get behind this idea, then so can we. Let’s take their advice and free our families and businesses from the painful spikes in gas prices we’ve put up with for far too long. I’m also issuing a new goal for America: let’s cut in half the energy wasted by our homes and businesses over the next twenty years. The states with the best ideas to create jobs and lower energy bills by constructing more efficient buildings will receive federal support to help make it happen.

These are real policies for progress. This says ‘this where we are, this is where we need to get, and this is how we are going to get there.’ Most important of all, the President is saying ‘work with me, that is what I want. But if you don’t, this is happening anyway. It is that important.’

We are told 70% of Americans want action on climate change. Now it is time for that 70% to make its voice heard and show support for a program aimed at job creation and economic growth through investment in the science and technology which can pull our heads out of the sand and face up to the dangers of climate change.

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The post President Obama Throws Down The Gauntlet on Climate Change appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.

So, what are we being told we might hear later today?

Last week, President Obama told House Democrats:

“I’m going to be talking about making sure that we’re focused on job creation here in the United States of America,”

USA Today is predicting a speech concentrating on jobs, the economy and budgets with an attempt to pressurize Republicans over budget issues. They think gun control, climate change and immigration will get a mention but with an emphasis on jobs and economy. For example, investment in clean energy as a means of creating jobs and also tackling climate change.

This is all well and good and if it is properly done can have significant benefit to both the economy and climate. However, more targeted measures are needed to directly address the problems of global warming and soaring carbon emissions.

The Daily Climate cites many occasions when environmental issues and policies were flagged up in major speeches only to fade away in the world of real politics. Clinton, Reagan, Nixon and both George Bush senior and junior made claims which fell by the wayside. Roosevelt with his U.S. Forest Service of 1905 and Lyndon Johnson with his advanced policies on clean air and water seem to be the Presidents who were most capable of turning their words into action on environmental issues. In his Special Message to Congress in 1965, Johnson made the following statement:

“This generation has altered the composition of the atmosphere on a global scale through radioactive materials and a steady increase in carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels.”

The issue of radioactive materials has seen big progress. CO2? Not so much. Is it perhaps because radioactive material is so much more frightening? Have the sea, the ice, the rain, the drought and fires not frightened us enough yet?

It is being reported that White House aides have told environmental groups:

“you are going to like what you hear”

Let’s hope so but, more importantly, let’s hope we will be in a position to like what we see happening. With environmental groups questioning lawmakers’ stomachs for legislation on environmental issues and with recent lessons on the dangers of making bold claims, this one calls for real leadership.

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Aristocrats-hat / CC BY-NC 2.0

The report by CPI and NPR was conducted as a part of an investigation called “Poisoned Places.” The goal was to identify communities that suffered from excessive pollutants and the reasons that these communities have not seen any government intervention on behalf of the public’s health. In one article from the investigation, written by Ronnie Greene and Howard Berks, called, “Community Coated in Black Mist” states that,

“for more than a decade, residents of [Ponca City, Okla.] filled the local Department of Environmental Quality office with so many complaints they required 20 binders to hold” (Greene and Berks “Black Mist”).

The Federal EPA and its local offices are so overwhelmed by the sheer number of “high priority violators” that they are unable to keep up. Public Integrity explained, “the inspector general found that ‘in many instances EPA and States are not addressing high priority violations… in a timely manner” (CPI). Even the upper management of the EPA is disappointed in the inaction of government to protect its citizens from environmental health risks.

NPR has provided a map alongside their article, “Once Secret Watch-list of Alleged Polluters,” that shows violators and their geographic location. The map shows the degree of health risk, but does not single out any companies by name. Clearly, this is a huge concern for the health and safety of the people that live near polluters. Pollutants diminish air quality, water quality, and quality of life. The EPA has recognized its shortcomings in this area, but the ability of the agency to combat a problem this widespread is questionable. They have not been able to effectively punish these violators in the past and getting industry to cooperate with environmental standards has been difficult historically. Business traditionally resists change, especially when change will cause their costs to go up. This is why agencies like the EPA exist. If businesses can continue to violate environmental standards without penalty, some will continue to do so in order to keep costs down.

The social cost of this problem is entirely too high and government needs to step in and on behalf of the people that live in affected areas. In extreme cases, the pollution is so dense that citizens can actually see and touch it, see the “Black Mist” article. The EPA was created for the purpose of protecting citizens and the environment from health risks caused by pollution and harmful chemicals. Right now, the EPA has a great deal of work to do, but without sufficient public support it is unlikely that much will be accomplished. Hopefully, now that these secret EPA watch lists have been revealed and reported on, public support will help the EPA to enforce environmental standards.

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How Convenience is Killing Our Plant – An infographic by the team at Arte Ideas

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The post Plastic Bags – How Convenience is Killing Our Planet [infographic] appeared first on Green Business Watch Blog.