Green, Environment News 11 October 2017

 

A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.

 

solar energy on exsting roofHere’s some good news:

Solar now employs more U.S. workers than Apple, Google, and Facebook combined!

Isn’t that great?

And global demand for solar power continues to rise – even as costs plummet, making it ever more attractive!

AND more good news: renewable energy now provides a QUARTER of the world’s power! Yes, renewable energy is catching up to coal (coal is still the world’s largest source of electricity).


 

Hurricane Sandy who pays for climate changeClimate change is getting more coverage than usual in the media (well, depending on which media you read or listen to, I suppose!), and that’s due mainly to the devastation caused by the recent dreadful hurricanes.

But there’s something we’re not asking commonly.

The costs of the damage are enormous – too huge to contemplate, really. And the question is, who will pay those costs? Who pays for climate change

It’s a good question – and I’m not sure you’ll like the answer in this interesting op-ed piece.


 

We all want to be green and ecofriendly in our homes, but there’s one question I get asked a lot. When we put the garbage out, most collectors want it to be in plastic bags. And we all know plastic bags are lousy for the environment — and for animals, birds and marine life.

But what can you do? You HAVE to do what the rubbish people want, in order to have your waste collected.

The answer lies in the type of plastic bag you use. Luckily, we have some great choices now. Choose bags that are made from 100% recycled material (or at least 80%), and that are fully biodegradeable or compostable. Here are some options for my recommendation of the week.


 

We all know that ecofriendly appliances are the way to go – but how do you recognize them?

And which are the best ones to choose?

All is revealed in this interesting guest post by Emily Folk.


 

Global Green News:

stop fracking posterScotland’s  government has put an “effective ban” on fracking, after an overwhelming result from the public. Over 65,000 people showed up to the public consultation on fracking, and almost 99% opposed it. A moratorium on fracking has been in place since 2015 and it will now continue “indefinitely” (although it can still be overturned if government ministers really push for it).

Ireland will also ban fracking, after both the country’s parliamentary houses passed a bill. Plus, in a historic move, Ireland may become the world’s first country to fully divest from all fossil fuels, after the country’s parliament passed “first-of-its-kind fossil fuel divestment legislation” with a majority vote. Hooray!

US Green News:

solar energy with tesla powerwall battery storage

Tesla is helping Puerto Rico to recover after Hurricane Maria by providing Powerwalls. Linked to solar panels, they can provide power, which is sorely needed as the island is not expected to have full power for several months. Tesla employees are already on the island, working to install the systems and additional solar panels and repair existing solar panels.

6 years ago, a Puerto Rican man spent $300,000 converting his plant nursery to solar panels. Everyone told him he was crazy to spend so much money. Now he’s happy – because his nursery was one of the few businesses with power after the hurricane. It allowed him to keep pumping water from wells while staff cleaned up the damaged greenhouses and roofs, and re-potted plants. He supplies flowers to Costco and Walmart.


 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Please spread the Green word and share this info.

And if you’re on Twitter, get a daily green tip by following me – @EcoExpert1 . See you there!


Tags

climate change, eco friendly news, ecofriendly, environment news, green, Green News


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