The 2012 Presidential Election is tomorrow, and critical decisions regarding how the United States should tackle climate change and energy security will need to be made in the near future. Therefore, it is of great importance that Americans elect a leader capable of addressing these issues. After three years of President Obama in the Oval Office, Americans have seen the current administration’s environmental policy agenda enacted. But in order to cast an informed ballot in the November election, the American electorate – especially independent and undecided voters – needs to know how presidential hopeful Mitt Romney plans to meet the challenges of a changing environment. Spoiler alert: Romney’s approach to the environment is unsustainable at its core and contrasts greatly with President Obama’s.

Read the rest of How Sustainable is Mitt Romney’s Vision for America and the Environment?

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: 2012 Election, clean air act, clean water act, Climate Change, energy security, environmental regulations, global warming, gop, keystone pipeline, Massachusetts Governor, Mitt Romney, offshore oil drilling, Paul Ryan, republican, sea level rise

While New York is making strides in promoting the installation of green roofs throughout NYC, the city of Zhuzhou in Hunan, China is taking the idea of green roofs to new heights with a shopping mall topped with a lush living roof and a four-villa development! China Daily reports that the houses atop Jiutian International Square mall are intended to function as offices for employees of the mall’s real estate developer, and they present an intriguing possibility for urban areas seeking to offer residents more green space.

Read the rest of Green-Roofed Shopping Mall in China is Topped With 4 Rooftop Villas

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags:

In a world where consumers are becoming increasingly socially conscious, “conflict minerals” are to electronics what blood diamonds are to jewelry. A new report released by Enough Project, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., gave top marks to Intel Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. on its annual list of companies striving to deliver electronic products without using conflict minerals as raw materials in the manufacturing process. The group also singled out video game juggernaut Nintendo Co. as a company that lags significantly behind industry competitors in its efforts to avoid the use of minerals linked to conflict.

Read the rest of New Report Lauds Intel, HP, Apple for Manufacturing with Conflict-Free Minerals

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Africa, Apple Computers, conflict free, conflict minerals, consumer electronics, Democratic Republic of Congo, hewlett packard, intel, nintendo, Securities Exchange Commission, sustainable design

Over 1 billion people live in areas where groundwater is disappearing faster than it can be replenished, according to a new study published in Nature. Groundwater serves as an important source of water for drinking and agriculture. However, the current rate of groundwater use in regions known for their agricultural production exceeds the ability to renew this precious resource.

Read the rest of New Study Finds Groundwater Demand Outstrips Supply For Over 1 Billion People

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Climate Change, data, drought and climate change, hydrologic model, McGill University, sustainable water resource management, uc irvine, underground aquifers, utrecht university, water use, water use agriculture

Americans may produce more municipal waste per capita than any other country in the world, but improving our recycling rate is one major way we can turn the tide and become a more sustainable society. According to a new report released by As You Sow (AYS), an environmental and social responsibility-focused advocacy group, a significant source of the problem lies in our failure to recycle packaging made from recyclable materials.

Read the rest of $11 Billion Worth of Recyclable Packaging is Buried in American Landfills

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: As You Sow, carbon emissions, end of life, extended producer responsibility, green jobs, green materials, landfills, Packaging Design, packaging materials, post-consumer content, social responsibility, Sustainable Brands, total life cycle

People aren’t the only ones getting a jolt from caffeine these days; in a new study published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, scientists found elevated concentrations of caffeine in the Pacific Ocean in areas off the coast of Oregon. With all those coffee drinkers in the Pacific Northwest, it should be no surprise that human waste containing caffeine would ultimately make its way through municipal water systems and out to sea – but how will the presence of caffeine in our oceans affect human health and natural ecosystems?

Read the rest of New Study Suggests Pacific Ocean is Polluted With… Coffee?

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: Boston Harbor, caffeine, coffee, contaminated water, intertidal mussels, marine life, Oregon coast, pacific garbage patch, Pacific Northwest, pacific ocean, scientific research, septic tanks, wastewater pollution

With summer in full swing and temperatures soaring across the states, why not stay cool and reduce carbon emissions at the same time by taking to the streets on a wooden bicycle by Sman Cruisers? The retro-styled beach bikes, developed by Dutch master woodworker Arnolt Van Der Sman, combine 1950s California surf culture with environmentally-friendly materials to inject classic form with contemporary eco-consciousness.  Read about what makes this cruiser sustainable after the jump.

Read the rest of Sman Cruisers’ Classic Wooden Bikes Take to the Streets With Sustainable Style

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: alternative transportation, Arnolt Van Der Sman, bicycles, Climate Change, eco design, green bicycle, green design, green transportation, Netherlands, sman bicycles, Sman Cruisers, sustainable design, wood bicycle, wood bike, wooden, woodworking

Traditional reading lights are often serpentine eyesores that appear to channel the ghosts of external computer microphones or clunky bookmarks, but Masiosare Studio‘s Flaca LED lamp offers those who clamor for a more streamlined solution a sustainable way to indulge in pulp pleasures. The Flaca (which translates to “skinny” in Spanish) illuminates pages utilizing a 6-watt LED lamp, which consumes about one-fourth the energy of an incandescent bulb.

Read the rest of The Flaca LED Lamp Shines Bright With a Striking Minimalist Form

Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg
Post tags: book lights that won't go out, eco book lights, energy efficient lighting, Flaca LED lamp, green book lights, green lighting, led book lights, led reading lights, low energy book lights, masiosare studio