Skepticism grows over products touted as eco-friendly

To Marina Meadows, green may be the new white. When she goes shopping these days, Meadows is often overwhelmed by a bevy of products touted as green, from Earth-friendly dish soaps and bamboo-derived towels to eco-detergents and plant-based soda bottles.

"Sometimes, I wonder if any of it's really green or if it's all a marketing scheme," Meadows said.

With booming interest in the environment, more companies are trying to cash in by promoting themselves and their products as green.

 

But environmentalists and some consumers are crying foul, saying that many companies are making the products out to be greener than they really are, a practice they call greenwashing. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-greenwash-20110521,0,6706379.story

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times by Tiffany Hsu

Congressmen seek to block pollution controls on Navajo coal plant

The massive coal-powered Navajo generating station in Page, Ariz., spews tens of thousands of tons of nitrogen oxide a year into Western skies, spreading haze across the Grand Canyon and other national parks. By law, the 40-year-old plant is supposed to install the "best available retrofit technology" to scrub emissions from its smokestacks.

But two Arizona Republicans have called a congressional hearing for Tuesday in an effort to block the Environmental Protection Agency from requiring the retrofits, which they say would cost $1.1 billion and could force the plant, which employs 1,000 people at the power station and a nearby coal mine, to close. Read more: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/05/coal-fired-power-plants-national-parks.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GreenspaceEnvironmentBlog+%28Greenspace%29

Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-Greenspace by Margot Roosevelt

 

 

 

Boston to offer electric car charge stations near City Hall

The city of Boston today will unveil three electric-vehicle charging stations near City Hall Plaza, providing exclusive downtown parking — complete with a power boost — for those who drive the environmentally friendly cars.

By putting the stations in a high-profile location, the city hopes to encourage drivers to abandon gasoline-powered vehicles and adopt the emerging electric option. Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/05/23/boston_to_offer_electric_car_charge_stations_near_city_hall/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by Andrew Ryan/Globe Staff

 

 

 

GE's 'green' engine offers new chance with military

WASHINGTON — For months, General Electric has fought an uphill battle to keep funds flowing for development of a next-generation F-35 fighter engine, a program the White House, Pentagon, and many in Congress oppose as wasteful — but one which would support hundreds of jobs at GE Aviation’s plants in Lynn and elsewhere. Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/05/16/ges_green_engine_offers_new_chance_with_military/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog by Theo Emery-Globe Staff

Natural gas: study raises doubts on U.S. supply

The United States does not have a decades-long supply of inexpensive, locally sourced natural gas, according to a new report commissioned by the Post Carbon Institute, a nonprofit think tank that examines issues related to the economy, energy and the environment.

The report, titled "Will Natural Gas Fuel America in the 21st Century?," is a challenge to the commonly cited projection that domestic natural gas can meet U.S. demand for more than 100 years. It comes on the heels of the U.S. Energy Information Agency's 2011 Energy Outlook released last month that projected an almost fourfold increase in domestic shale gas production by 2035 and growing use of natural gas to generate electricity. 

Read more: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2011/05/18/largest_wind_blade_testing_center_to_open/

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe -Green Blog by Susan Carpenter

 

Largest wind blade testing center to open

The nation’s largest wind blade testing facility is opening for business on Boston’s waterfront. Governor Deval Patrick is scheduled to join other officials today for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Wind Technology Testing Center, the first commercial blade testing facility in the nation capable of handling blades as long as 90 meters. In 2009, US Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that Massachusetts would receive $25 million in federal stimulus dollars for construction of the testing center on Boston Harbor in Charlestown.

Article courtesy of The Boston Globe-Green Blog

China cracks down on lead emissions

SHANGHAI — China is cracking down on emissions of lead and other heavy metals following a spate of poisoning cases and reports that much of the country’s soil is contaminated with toxic materials. Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2011/05/20/china_cracks_down_on_lead_emissions/