L.A. Green Bean

Photo: BOMBARDIER REGINA train for Gröna Tåget research project Normally we try to stay away from the third person on this site, but I think it’s safe to say that TreeHugger likes trains. They’re one of the most efficient ways to move goods and people over long distances, and from this passenger’s perspective are the far most enjoyable form of public transit. That said, Bombardier has announced one more reason why you should like trains. ‘Green Train Project’ Makes Test Trip In Swedish it’s a Gröna Tåget, but in English you can call it a Green Train. Developed by Banverket the Swedish Railway Admin...

Don't Celebrate Too Fast The price of oil has been falling in recent days, and some people are already bringing out the party hats and daydreaming about Hummers. We think that a more sober look at the situation is needed, and thanks to the nice people at The Oil Drum Europe, we have this great graph (above). Historical Data: Recent Crude Oil Prices It shows at least 6 different instances during the past 5 years when the price of crude oil dropped by similar percentages to the current drop, but most importantly, it shows an overall trend of 30% yearly increases in price. Nobo...

image: Hyperion Power Generation About nine months ago we reported on a portable nuclear power generator made by Hyperion Power Generation which we dubbed a “nuclear hot tub” because of it’s size. We weren’t overly keen on the idea and comments ranged from incredulous to defensive. The executive director of the Los Alamos Study Group wasn’t exactly supportive either: “The whole idea is loony and not worthy of much attention. Of course, factoring in enough cronyism, corruption and...

Hundreds of underground fuel tanks owned by the federal government could be leaking hazardous materials into drinking water, according to an Associated Press investigation. Of particular concern are steel tanks buried in the Cold War era, which are highly likely to have rusted and be leaking. One million gallons of water can be contaminated by just 1 gallon of fuel, posing health threats to folks who drink it. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has known about the situation since at least the 1990s, but has dragged its feet when it comes to remediation. At present, FEMA knows of at least 150 leaking underground storage tanks -- or LUST, if you prefer -- and "is trying to determine by September whether an additional 124 tanks are underground or above ground and whether they are leaking," according to the AP.

sources: Associated Press, Associated Press

This post is one in a series of video blogs about biking across America with WE ADD UP to raise awareness about how to stop global warming. Check out more posts in this series here. Day 8 was the last day before the first rest day of the bike trip across America. If only the rest day for the body and mind meant a rest day for the appetite! Kicking back in Stow, Ohio, Carson and Eric cooked a big chili meal of the vegetarian sort. E...

Image source: Car Free Days Mark Your Calendars, its time once again for the 5th annual Sustainable Ballard Festival, full of fun festival games like “how to grow chickens in the city” and “the best compost contest.” While this is not your typical festival, Sustainable Ballard hopes to encourage self-reliance among community members and reduce dependence on foreign oil. The event is free to the public and will be held September 27th & 28th from 11am-5pm at Ballard Commons Park....

Agree or disagree with him, there’s no misunderstanding where Prince Charles thinks about, well, whatever he chooses to speak out on. In a recent interview with with the

Image source: Deploy Workshop While the materials may not be organic, Deploy Workshop has attempted to create outfits that you can mix and match and reuse over and over, regardless of season. With strategically designed snaps, "a dress becomes a skirt, or a blouse becomes a dress." Consider it recycling fashion....

First Modern Bike-Sharing Program in the USA The District of Columbia joins Barcelona and Paris today with the launch of its high-tech Smart Bike Program (other cities have bike-share initiatives, but not as big and sophisticated as Vélib-style programs). At first, 120 bikes will be available at 10 self-service racks, mostly in the downtown area, including near the Gallery Place, Shaw and Judiciary Square Metrorail stations. Not exactly Vélib with its 1,500 stations and 20,000 bicycles, but it's a start. How Does it Work? "A $...

The amount of old-growth forest designated as critical habitat for the northern spotted owl was slashed 23 percent, or 1.6 million acres, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Tuesday. One might think that means that spotted owls are doing well for themselves, but no: the spotted owl population is dropping by 4 percent each year. Despite widespread efforts to protect their Northwest old-growth home, the birds continue to lose habitat to logging, wildfires, and the aggressive barred owl. A federal study released last month warned that the remaining spotted owls lack genetic diversity, which may send them even more quickly toward extinction. "I have not lost hope for spotted owls," says wildlife geneticist Susan Haig, "but I think we're at a pretty serious crossroads." The federal axing of critical-habitat acreage resulted from a settlement with the timber industry, which complained that the 5.3 million acres left as critical habitat is still too much.

sources: The Seattle Times, Associated Press, The Oregonian
see also, in Grist: Bush admin debuts final recovery plan for spotted owl

image: BioSolar You might not think that cotton and castor beans could be the answer to making solar panels less expensive, but that’s just what California-based BioSolar is trying to make happen. The company has just unveiled a new backing for solar panels which it hopes manufacturers will find financially and functionally more compelling than the petroleum-based backing sheets currently used for most panels. Renewable and Less-Expensive, BioSolar Says Announced at the Solar Energy + Applications conference in San Diego this week, BioSolar says the new backing sheet is made of a mixture of cotton and a nylon...

Welcome to SustainStyle, a weekly digest from the writers at 1plus1, a blog dedicated to eco-friendly fashion. SustainStyle runs every Wednesday. Los Angeles Market Week kicks off with a green fashion show including Perfectly Imperfect, Emily Katz and Manimal. A new gossip girl that's green, grown, sexy, and not your average blah blah blah. Equita throws a mid-...