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Heating homes with dung! Hooray!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/11/cow-dung-heating-dutch-homes.php

It’s a fun treat for us to get to tell you about poop-projects, and today is no exception! From Treehugger.com, biomass projects (plant materials and animal waste used as a fuel source) are sweeping the Netherlands with last year’s launch of the world’s largest biomass plant which provides 90,000 homes with chicken-poop-fueled power.

Now a new project is beginning with the Dutch focusing on cow dung. Another plant is taking cow-leavings from a local dairy farm and converting them into “biogas” which will be used to heat 1,100 new homes being constructed in the area.

Touted as an “experimental dairy farm”, a special 5.5 kilometer-long biogas pipeline will be used to bring power to the local thermal plant’s wind turbines as well. The experiment could open new possibilities for farmers who are interested in the profits of converting agricultural residues into energy.

The Green Ponzi Scheme

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/regulators-file-lawsuit-against-alleged-green-investment-ponzi-scheme/

Federal regulators have accused four people and two companies of using bogus claims about “green initiatives” to entice more than 300 investors into what was really a $30 million Ponzi scheme. The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a lawsuit against Wayde McKelvy; his ex-wife Donna McKelvy; Troy Wragg and Amanda Knorr. In addition, two companies were named: the Mantria Corporation, run by Mr. Wragg and Ms. Knorr; and Speed of Wealth L.L.C., a “wealth education” program founded by the McKelvys.

According to the complaint, the fraud scheme’s promoters targeted elderly investors and those nearing retirement age. Investors were told they could reap substantial returns from such “green” initiatives as the development of “carbon negative” housing in rural Tennessee and the production and marketing of “bio char,” a charcoal substitute made from organic waste.

In fact, regulators say, the private company in which investors sank their money had almost no assets or operations and the promoters were paying the promised returns to early investors with money collected from those who invested later — a classic Ponzi scheme. So if you have the drive to help and you want to invest, make sure you thoroughly research the companies out there before deciding to trust them with your greens.

North American nations shake hands on wilderness protection

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010758.html

Worldchanging.com reports that a few weeks ago the governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico formally agreed to work together to protect wilderness areas across the continent.

This cooperation will establish an intergovernmental committee to exchange research and approaches that address challenges such as climate change, fire control, and invasive species in land, marine, and coastal protected areas throughout the continent.

The three nations have long cooperated on wilderness management – programs have straddle the U.S.-Canadian border since 1910 and the U.S.-Mexican border since the 1930s. Yet the memorandum of understanding is the first multinational agreement on wilderness protection.

Copenhagen nay-saying begins

http://www.ecogeek.org/component/content/article/2998

Ecogeek.org tells us that even though the summit on climate change to take place in Copenhagen doesn’t actually occur until December, several reports claim that there won’t be any real progress made.

Leaders attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation two weeks ago met and decided that the Copenhagen conference would be used to come up with an interim “politically” binding agreement and to set a date and time for a legally binding one sometime next year.

The goal of cutting global emissions by 50 percent by 2050 has been scrapped and instead a 2007 goal of reducing energy intensity – emissions per unit of economic output – by 25 percent by 2030 is being restated, but again, it won’t be binding.

A big reason for the push back is Congress’s inaction on a climate change bill this year.  Without a clear commitment from the U.S. to cut emissions, other countries are hesitant to make any pledges of their own.  In the past few days, members of Congress have said a decision on a climate bill won’t happen before the first half of 2010.

Unfortunately, the world is waiting for the U.S. to lead them on climate change, but with Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Healthcare and other items on the federal government’s To-Do List, the world seems doomed to wait a little longer.

Coke to use plant plastic

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/11/16/coke-announces-global-rollout-of-plant-based-plastic-bottles/

Nearly 1.6 billion servings of Coca-Cola-branded beverages are served each day. But some of them will be just a little bit greener now that Coke has announced the global rollout of its PlantBottle, a plastic bottle made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and 30% plant-based materials (derived from sugar cane and molasses). The new bottles stand to cut down on carbon emissions by up to 25% compared to traditional plastic bottles.

The only problem is Coke intends to use the PlantBottle for their Dasani water products only. Instead of getting rid of bottled water since it’s not sustainable, they plan to only deliver it in a better bottle. Coke expects over 2 billion PlantBottles to have sold worldwide by the end of 2010. Next year, the company plans to expand the PlantBottle to its Vitamin Water brands as well.

Eventually, Coke hopes to introduce bottles made from 100% recyclable and renewable materials. We’ll have to wait and see if they make good on that commitment.