At Patriots' stadium, home team looks out for the environment

From the time visitors park at Gillette Stadium until they leave, the signs of environmental awareness are everywhere.Recycling bags are handed out at the parking lot.In and around the stadium, solar-powered compactors collect plastic bottles and cans.The toilets are flushed with water that has been recycled at the stadium’s own waste-water treatment plant.Some of the electricity for New England Patriots and New England Revolution games is generated by wind turbines in the Midwest

Read more  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/12/05/patriots_stadium_in_foxborough_leads_ecofriendly_efforts/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe by Michele Morgan Bolton

Proposed wind farm between RI and Mass. doubles in size

A proposed wind farm almost 14 miles off Martha’s Vineyard has doubled in size to 200 turbines, making it the largest proposed offshore wind farm in the U.S., according to its developers.

Deepwater Wind announced its plans this morning to build 50 turbines in federal waters between Rhode Island and Massachusetts and another 150 turbines about 25 miles from both states. The turbines would be barely visible from land, the developers say.

To read more    http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/2010/12/proposed_wind_farm_between_ri.html

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe –Green Blog posted by Beth Daley

 

 

Don't Get Burned by Petroleum-Green Your Holidays: Candles

Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or all of them, this week's tips will help you lessen your impact while you increase your joy.

If you're preparing to light a menorah tomorrow or stocking up on candles for Kwanzaa later this month, look for eco-friendly candles made from soy or beeswax instead of petroleum-derived paraffin. For better air quality, opt for unscented varieties. Keep wicks short to get more life out of your candles.

Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

 

Climate change could bring sudden drought to La Paz

As the world warms, scientists expect some ecosystems to gradually migrate up slopes, essentially chasing environmental conditions they need to thrive.

But according to recent research on the historical ecology of the Andes conducted in part by a Westfield State University assistant professor, those steady changes can reach a tipping point in some cases that flips local ecosystems on their head.

The scientists examined fossilized pollen in Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest elevation great lake on the border of Peru and Bolivia, which allowed them to look 370,000 years back in time. They found that in two periods of past warming, the lake shrank by as much as 85 percent, and switched the grassland ecosystem into desert.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/greenblog/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe- Green Blog posted by Beth Daley

Green Your Kids' School: Waste-Free Lunches

Do you see a lot of waste going on at your children’s schools? This week’s tips are about how to help green your local educational institutions.

Consider starting a waste-free lunch program at your children’s schools to help make trash reduction a priority. On a personal level, avoid resorting to disposables such as plastic bags and paper juice boxes. Instead, choose reusable items. Check out the EPA's handy guide (PDF) for committing to cleaner lunches, cleaner campuses, and a cleaner planet for your kids. 
Article courtesy of The Green Life (green.life@sierraclub.org)

Mayor Bloomberg to Promote Electric Taxis in Cities

City authorities are often better placed than national governments to combat climate change, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said recently. He vowed to promote the use of electric taxis as he takes over the leadership of a global coalition of major cities

www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7837

Article courtesy of Smart Growth

High Lead Levels Found in Urban Gardens

Researchers from Wellesley College have found that urban vegetable gardeners can be exposed to lead contamination even if they use raised beds with clean compost or topsoil. It isn’t the vegetables but the dirt itself that can collect fine lead particles. The lead, from industrial site around the city, can sometimes become airborne and lands in urban gardens, Daniel Brabander and his team of researcher found. The group presented their findings at the 2010 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.
www.smartgrowth.org/news/article.asp?art=7844