carbon emissions

What’s emission-free, runs on an electric battery and is shaped like a green pea?

It’s Chrysler’s new GEM PeaPod, and it’s one of the most innovative and eco-friendly electric vehicles in production. » read more

The shipping industry's carbon footprint has gone unrecognized by big green plans like the Koyoto Protocol. "Commercial shipping emissions have been one of the least studied areas of all combustion emissions," says Daniel Lack, a scientist at the Washington DC-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Until now.

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I came upon a very interesting book the other day that can be read online for free. The title is "Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air" and it is written by David J.C. MacKay, a Cambridge professor. The text can be found at withouthotair.com. The book is almost 400 pages long, but the good news is that if you aren't quite up to this challenge, MacKay also provides a four page summary of his work, which I think is defintiely worth a read. » read more

I know I haven't written an Ask Liv entry lately (things have been really busy here at Greenopolis!) but my motto is, better late than never. So without futher ado, here's this week's Ask Liv feature:

"Have you heard of the Kyoto Protocol, in which nations agree to cut back
on carbon emissions to prevent green house gases and global warming? I was
just wondering, what do you think about the Protocol and why do you suppose
that the United States and Australia have not signed this agreement?"

This is a great question. » read more

Hey everybody! Have you seen our new CO2 Footprint Calculator yet? It's a really great way to see your current carbon footprint and to track your progress in the future. If you want to get greener in your personal habits, it helps to know where you'rte starting from, right? So check it out! The calculator will score you on a scale of one to ten, but in case you're wondering how you stack up to the average, see the following figures. » read more

Japan recently announced its plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 60-80 percent by 2050. They also plan to match or better European reduction levels over the next 12 years.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced Monday that he is trying to establish Japan as a world leader in the field, also stating that his country will contribute $1.2 billion to an international greenhouse gas reductions fund and will take a more supportive role in establishing an emissions trading market worldwide.
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Global Warming...On Mars???

We've all heard about climate change here on Earth, but who knew that global warming was happening on Mars, too? Based on melting that is observable on the surface of the red planet, scientists have determined that Mars has been warming along with the planet Earth. » read more

One Russian scientist, Habibullo Abdussamatovm, believes that this fact points to increased solar output as the cause of climate change here on Earth.

The city of the future is in the planning stages, and its location may surprise you. Masdar City, a waste-free and zero-carbon city of 50,000 people, is being built outside of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi is synonymous with oil and the wealth derived from it, which makes the location of this "green" city surprising. However, the people driving the project have many good reasons for the city's construction.

Some of these reasons stem from a genuine concern about the state of the environment. » read more