Conservation News

For home siding, side with the green choice- Choosing siding can be a tricky process because modern siding can be flimsy or expensive. HardiePlank siding is different. Made from wood pulp, sand, cement, and water that are recycled up to 4 times in the manufacturing process, this siding is durable, coming with a 50 year warranty.

http://www.jameshardie.com/homeowner/products_siding_hardieplankLapSiding.py

Pave your patio, driveway, or sidewalk with porous pavement – This type of pavement strategy allows rainwater to seep below the surface into an aggregate, where it is afterwards distributed into the soil. The pavement allows water than might otherwise form puddles and evaporate to be taken up by plants in your yard. In the winter, snow that might otherwise turn into ice also infiltrates into the ground, sparing you a fall. The lack of ice also lessens the need to use harmful and environmentally poisonous salts.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4289656.html

Invest in a geothermal heating and cooling system – This is the most environmentally responsible and energy efficient system available on the market. The direct exchange ground source heat pump uses the earth’s constant underground temperatures to heat the home in the winter and cool it in the summer. These pumps can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 50 percent, and they usually last three times longer than air source systems. Although these systems can be a bit pricier than traditional heating and cooling systems, electric utility companies have been willing to cover some of the costs of installation or offer rate guaranties. The discounts can amount to hundreds of dollars, so be sure to ask.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/home_clinic/1274631.html

From the roof, to the floor – Choose flooring products that are made from renewable materials. Cork planking from National Cork is milled from naturally regenerating tree bark and contains no formaldehyde.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4212727.html

Food for thought. And fuel – Your restaurant leftovers may be used to fuel your home soon. Experts at the AZTI-Tecnalia technological centre in Spain are looking at different methods to derive energy from waste from the food industry as well as agriculture. The main procedure being studied involves extracting a biogas from food by a process called anaerobic digestion. The digestion breaks down the food matter into a sludge, which can be used as fertilizer in agriculture, and a biogas that contains methane and carbon dioxide, which can be used as energy for fuel. The plant is available for use for government, food enterprises, and environmental institutions who are interested in developing energy from food products.
http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/03/31/obtaining.biogas.food.industry.waste

Skyfarmers –  Soon farms may have a new look. Urban, 1000 feet high, right in the middle of downtown. Not what your typical getaway to grandma’s. Some scientist think that the farms of the future may be located as mentioned: on the roofs of skyscrapers. The idea is similar to that of a green roof, but with food production involved. Food would be grown using soil-free hydroponic (water) farming, which would cut the demand for energy. This method would utilize already existing space (city buildings) for a continual necessity (food). Added bonus: the food would be grown close to demand, eliminating costly transportation fees.
http://www.verticalfarm.com/

You are my sunshine – The Desertec Foundation is thinking big. As big as the Sahara Desert. The company is hoping to use the desert’s abundant sunshine to provide energy for Europe. Here is the plan: construct solar panels in the northern region of Africa and channel the power produced by the panels to Europe and the Mediterranean. The company estimates that the panels will generate 100 gigawatts of power and only need to cover 0.3% of the desert. Although financial barriers and political instabilities may delay the project, the company hopes to set up the panels within the next 10-15 years.

http://www.desertec.org/en/concept/

Switch to grass – In a recent study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, researchers have been looking at switch grass as a potential source for biofuel production. The 5 year study determined that switch grass yields 540 percent more energy than is needed to grow it. This discovery not only indentifies the grass as an energy efficient alternative to fossil fuels, it also can be used as a means to enhance rural economies and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
http://ianrnews.unl.edu/static/0801070.shtml
http://www.biofuelreview.com/content/view/1399/

More, more, more – Many companies are moving toward the idea of using ethanol from crops as an alternative fuel. But the amount of ethanol produced by the crops is not as efficient as it could be. Until now. Researchers at the University of Georgia are looking into a new method that would increase the yield of ethanol produced by as much as 10%. The process involved pre-treating non-food crops such as switchgrass and Bermuda grass with an eco-friendly wash to increase sugar production. The sugar is then converted into ethanol. An increased yield has many benefits including more biofuel availability as well as reduced costs and carbon emissions in comparison to contemporary fuels such as petroleum and coal.

http://www.uga.edu/news/artman/publish/080728_biomass.shtml

Trash to treasure – Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley have found a way to convert an unwanted by-product of biodiesel to a usable form. The procedure uses formic acid to change glycerol from biofuel waste to allyl alcohol, which is used as a starting material in many products made from petroleum. This solution could decrease our dependence on petroleum, creating an alternative method of producing petroleum based products such as polymers, organic compounds, pesticides, etc.

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/06/11/replacing-petros-with-biomass/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090616144533.htm