Aging population brings lower carbon dioxide emissions

With age comes a lower carbon footprint, as an average American’s carbon dioxide emissions start to fall after the age of 65 as they spend less in energy-intensive goods and services. This is the finding of a new demographic analysis from German research organization Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, which looked at the relationship between age and average per capita carbon dioxide emissions.

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REpower, Vatenfall construct 122-MW wind farm in the Netherlands

Project is one of the largest wind farms in the Netherlands

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Use of air conditioning in the United States on the rise – E.I.A.

Over three-quarters of occupied primary residences in the United States had air conditioning equipment in 2009, out of which less than 10 percent remain to be non-energy efficient, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. According to new data from the E.I.A.’s Residential Energy Consumption Survey, about 87 percent of 113.6 million U.S. homes occupied as a primary residence in 2009 had air conditioning equipment.

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Kyocera covers Japan facilities with green curtains to reduce energy use

The Kyocera Group is planting green curtains on the outer walls of its manufacturing and office buildings in 19 locations in Japan to achieve its 15 percent energy reduction target, an effort made more challenging by the effects of the March 11 earthquake which struck the country. A green curtain is a natural shade over the exteriors of a building window, created by growing climbing plants like gourd or morning glory.

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California school cafeterias recycle one million food lunch trays monthly

A group of schools in California are participating in a program that has so far recycled over one million foam-based lunch trays every month. The lunch tray recycling initiative, headed by food packaging company Dart Container Corporation and food supplies distributor P&R Paper, is dubbed as the state’s largest volunteer lunch tray recycling effort and participated into by at least 11 unified school districts.

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The royal wedding – Prince William, Middleton take green steps down the aisle

Aside from the obvious, one of the biggest values to holding a green wedding is the value savings it can have on costs with the re-using, recycling, and reducing involved in carrying it out. The soon to be married Prince William and fiancée Kate Middleton, coming from royal and affluent backgrounds, probably do not need the monetary savings, the green steps they take walking down the aisle would be valued more for how the royal couple are setting themselves as examples in the fight to mitigate climate change.

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Solo, around-the-world sailing race goes green

CHARLESTON, South Carolina, April 21 (Reuters) - The sailors finishing the fourth leg of a grueling, solo yacht race around the world arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, this week with sunburned faces and tales of trials on the open seas. That's typical fare for participants in the Velux 5 Oceans Race. But sailors making the current journey have tried something new: powering their boats' high-tech electronics systems with sustainable energy from the sun, wind and water.

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Consumers will spend more for green from trusted brands – survey

NBCUniversal released the results of a series of recent polls on consumers’ green purchase habits and found out that while shoppers are willing to buy green and spend more for it, majority will only do so if the purchase will involve a trusted brand. The media and entertainment company’s Green in the Economy II poll showed that 68 percent of respondents believe it is worth paying more for a green product or service if it is offered by a brand they trust.

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Green auction earns $ 2.4 million for environment

NEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) - A green auction of fine art, celebrity experiences, luxury travel and high fashion took in a total of $2.4 million to benefit the environment. Organizers said the Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth held for a second year in March and April, raised $1.4 million at a live auction at Christie's and more than $750,000 from an online auction, led by a three-night private yacht cruise in Cannes which sold for $100,000.

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Waves of change – eco-friendly surfboards and surfers ride challenging currents

It seems easy to regard surfing as a low-carbon sport. It does not require fuel-consuming machinery that directly emits harmful gases in the air, like say, motor racing. Nor does it alter its natural surroundings, like how ski resorts or golf courses have to clear areas of trees and vegetation. Surfers, like most water sports enthusiasts, are even known for being conscious in the upkeep of beaches and seas.The catch could be in the surfers’ gear, specifically the surfboard.

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