Filed under: Random Factoids, Science and Climate | Tags: alternative energy, biofuel
Using human and animal waste as fuel isn’t a new idea. Consider the previously posted story about the Illinois farm harnessing methane produced by cow manure. According to a recent story posted on The Daily Green, researchers are exploring the possibility of using urine – animal and human – for energy. Read on to learn more about the applications of this strange source of alternative energy.
Filed under: Going Green at MGPL, Green Lifestyle, Green News, Green Tips, Random Factoids | Tags: carbon footprint, newspapers, online newspapers
If you want an easy way to be more environmentally friendly, stop your newspaper subscription. According to The Environment Equation by Alex Shimo, you can reduce your yearly carbon output by 580lbs when you read newspapers online. If you have a Morton Grove Public Library card, you can access more than 500 newspapers from more than 55 countries in 33 languages, all in full page format through our newest online database: PressDisplay.
The Environment Equation: 100 Factors That Can Add to or Subract from Your Total Carbon Footprint
Shimo, Alex
Maron, Christopher J.
2008/04 – Adams Media Corporation
9781598698145 Check the Library’s Catalog 100 Factors That Determine Your Impact on the Earth …More
Filed under: Green Lifestyle, Green News, Green Tips, Random Factoids | Tags: public transportation, saving money
If you’ve been chewing on the idea of ditching your car or at least keeping it parked more often, then here’s yet another excuse to do so. According to a recent study conducted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a person can save about $8,300 per year by taking public transportation. If you live in the Chicago area, you might save as much as $10,456 per year. The study takes into account a variety of factors, including the cost of parking. You might be surprised to learn that the savings APTA projects considers the recent drop in gas prices. Read APTA’s entire report, and go to publictransporation.org to calculate the costs of car ownership vs. public transporation.
Of course there are many other benefits to taking public transportation: reducing your carbon footprint, getting more exercise, and decreasing stress.
Filed under: Random Factoids, Science and Climate | Tags: Chicago Matters Growing Forward, Illinois farms, methane, methane digester, sustainable farming
Did you know that methane, a greenhouse gas, traps 20 times more heat than carbon? You also may not know that cattle and other livestock are responsible for generating large amounts of methane. However, new technologies are helping farmers manage the release of methane, transforming it from a source of pollution into a source of energy.
I learned about this type of sustainable farming last month on a segment on WTTW’s Chicago Matters: Growing Forward. The month of September focused on food, and the episode “Cow Power” highlighted how an Illinois farm has become self-sustaining by adopting methane digester technologies. Watch the entire segment, and prepare to be amazed!
Filed under: Random Factoids | Tags: EPA, garbage, garbage in the United States, trash
There’s been a lot of talk about trash lately. Gone are the days when most of us thoughtlessly threw out everything from banana peels to computer monitors to the living room couch. Most people aren’t aware of just how much trash they produce in a week, a month, a year, or in a lifetime. If this makes you ponder how many cubic feet of the earth you’ve filled with Heftys, you’re not alone. Here are some of the facts about trash.
According to the EPA, the US generated over 251 million tons of trash in the year 2006 alone. This figure includes residents, businesses, and institutions. Spread out per person, that equals about 4.6 pounds of trash each day. The EPA also provides a breakdown of what types of trash amount to the 251 million tons in their report Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2006.
