Electric car to power utilities and income

Reuters reports on the University of Delaware researchers who have fashioned an electric car to not only run on just electricity but also to store and generate electricity for utilities.

This technology on the prototype car is called vehicle-to-grid or V2G and the professors hope this will also generate future revenue.

To help lay the groundwork for V2G in Delaware, the state passed a 2009 law - the first of its kind in the world -- requiring utilities to compensate electric car owners for power sent back to the grid at the same rate they pay to charge the battery.

At a current cost of about $75,000 per [Toyota] Scion - including V2G conversion and the basic car -- the vehicles are beyond the reach of most drivers. But [Professor Willett Kempton, who is leading the university's V2G program], argues that costs will fall as production increases. With all costs optimized, a V2G car should eventually sell for $3,000-$5,000 more than an equivalent gasoline model, he said.

And Kempton estimates that the value of providing storage and electricity generation to utilities is $4000 per year.

Read the full story: Electric cars give power back to grid

Photo from University of Delaware

Sustainable tourism talk with Global Heritage Fund co-founder

Peter Greenberg Travel speaks with Global Heritage Fund co-founder Jeff Morgan about sustainable tourism.

"The planet is losing many of its most unique and one-of-a-kind sites– where there is only one example for an entire civilization…

If you look at where all the money goes, it goes into churches, mosques, synagogues and Buddhist sites.

GHF’s Preservation by Design is a community-based model where the local people become the stewards and benefit from long-term income and jobs which enable site protection and preservation. The method and process we developed that takes each site through a four-step process: planning, science, community and partnerships."

Read the full interview: GHF co-founder talks sustainable tourism

Photo from Peter Greenberg Travel

Maine woods eco-lodge

The Washington Post reports on a Maine eco-lodge reached only in the winter by skis. Diane Daniel writes about her trip.

We were looking for a silent, snowy and achingly beautiful winter weekend. Five hours north of Boston, in the western Maine woods, we found it.

Even better, we spent two nights in off-the-grid full-service comfort deep in those woods, thanks to one of the most ambitious environmental projects in the state: the Maine Huts & Trails system, a nascent network of year-round hiking, biking and skiing trails connecting alternative-powered, eco-friendly huts where guests can spend the night.

Read the full story: Deep in the Maine woods

Photo from Maine Huts & Trails

London Zoo exhibits S American rainforest life

The Guardian reports on London Zoo's South American rainforest exhibit.

David Field, zoological director of London zoo, said: "Rainforest Life will transport people to other corners of the world by coming through the gates of London zoo. It is a dynamic, living ecosystem and you won't see the same exhibit twice. It will give people a real taste of these priceless forests that are disappearing fast."

The zoo hopes [the exhibit] will become a breeding centre for the endangered species it houses. Visitors to the exhibit will have the chance to experience the heat and humidity of the jungle from elevated walkways where they can view the canopy teeming with wildlife.

Read the full story: London zoo exhibit recreates living South American rainforest

Photo from London Zoo

Ride subway, exit in "Asia"

The Washington Post reports on the New York City subway ride that will let you out in "Asia."

Brain Yarvin takes you on the plane-less journey to Flushing, Queens, only $2.25 and about a 45 minute subway ride from Midtown Manhattan.

Most out-of-towners will head toward Flushing for Citi Field or its neighbor, Arthur Ashe Stadium, and if they're not in the loop, they'll take in a baseball game or a tennis match and leave. The rest of us know better. Here's a neighborhood that really seems to be part of China, only with New York City street signs. When I step off the train at Main Street, get my first whiff of scallion pancakes, make my first sighting of a new menu or find some ingredient that exists nowhere else in the Eastern United States, I know that I've come to the right place.

Read the full story: Flushing, Queens: Taking the 7 train from Times Square to Asia

Ride a bike in Mexico City

The Christian Science Monitor reports on the new bicycle friendliness of Mexico City.

How to help this sprawled-out city choked with more than 4 million vehicles and rampant air pollution? Ride a bike, says Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard.

New infrastructure, road closures, and bike-sharing programs are helping to promote the two-wheel answer to congestion and poor air quality. There’s the “Muevete en Bici,” which opens 8.7 miles of major avenues to only cyclists on Sundays. The city has also promised to build new bike parking and 186 miles of bike paths by 2012. There are bike racks in the Metro stations as well as bicycle-designated subway cars. Bike-sharing programs abound, the largest being the newly launched EcoBici (EcoBike) that has 1,100 bikes for use. It is the first of its kind in Latin America.

Read the full story: Mexico City makes way for bicycles

Photo by Alfredo Estrella / AFP

All Starwood resorts to celebrate Earth Hour

Terra Curve reports that hotel brand Starwood will celebrate this month's Earth Hour at all properties.

This year, in more than 90,000 hotel rooms, guests staying in participating Starwood properties will be encouraged to turn off the lights. Additionally, as they did last year, participating Starwood hotels will take the steps of turning off exterior signage lighting; last year, the darkened hotels offered striking visual imagery that provided an apt symbol of Earth Hour. Properties will also participate by dimming or turning off non-essential interior lighting, using candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars, and using in-room voicemail messages and in-room television messages to inform guests about Earth Hour observances.

Read the full story: Starwood gets in on the Earth Hour festivities

Photo from Starwood

Vicksburg, Mississippi to offer ecotourism

USA Today reports on Vicksburg, Mississippi's tourism diversity campaign including ecotourism offerings.

The town, mostly known for its Civil War battlefields, has suffered a decline in tourists in recent years. Tourism employs 16 percent of the town and county's workforce but brings in a significant portion of the area's income. Last year brought in $209 million.

New museums, the 150th anniversary of the Civil War and Mississippi river adventures are new offerings the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) hope will draw tourists back.

"The Mississippi River is a huge draw, and we need to tap into that more," said Bill Seratt, VCVB executive director. "As you travel between Memphis and Vicksburg, you really don't have the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Mississippi River. Here, you really get to understand what a power body of water it is."

Eco-tourism is one of just a few niche travel markets the VCVB is trying to tap into to diversify Vicksburg's image. A "soft adventure" tour guide focusing on camping, canoeing, hiking, biking and birding and is being developed. Another guide highlighting the artistry of the sculptures and monuments in the VNMP is also in the works.

Read the full story: Beyond battlefields

Photo by Chad Purser 2006

Volunteer vacations good for the Earth

Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on the appeal of vacationing for the good of the environment:

Volunteer vacations strike a balance between giving and getting, feeding a participant’s sense of adventure as well as a desire to improve the planet and the lives of its inhabitants. This pairing of volunteerism and travel, which the Sierra Club first introduced in 1958 in the form of service trips, is an old concept enjoying new life. More than 3.5 million Americans traveled at least 120 miles to volunteer their services in 2007, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Read the full story: Take a vacation, and help save the planet

Photo by Sarah Stout / Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Egypt desert tourism: eco or not?

Global Post reports on the effects of "ecotourism" to Egypt's western desert region near the town of Bawati.

Desert ecotourism is becoming a popular alternative to the usual Pyramids and Red Sea lures of this North African nation. But the country's economic dependence on tourism is leading to a need to balance out development versus the overrun of ecosystems.

The White Desert - that features otherworldly landscapes (picture right) - is a prime tourist spot that fills up at sunset with snap happy foreigners.

The Bahariya Oasis just north of the White Desert has also seen a rise in visitors to the extent where one-third of the residents now work in tourism.

But the industry isn't regulated well and environmentalists say the economic interests outweigh minimizing impact on the environment. Others in the tourism industry welcome the rise in tourists and want more to come.

Read the full story: Desert ecotourism, what's in it for Egypt?

Photo from A-1 Safari Egypt

Save orcas or salmon?

McClatchy reports on the dilemma of endangered species eating another endangered species.

A new study on endangered animals shows that killer whales, also called orcas, in the Pacific Northwest are primarily eating endangered Chinook salmon in Canada.

Though the dietary habits of killer whales may not seem like a big deal, the orcas and various salmon species are protected on both sides of the border. Efforts to revive endangered species that share the same ecosystem can become intertwined.

"It is fascinating the whales specialize in a particular species, and the species they focus on is one of the rarer ones and in some case protected," said Michael Ford, the director of the conservation biology division at the National Marine Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "Recovery of the whales could be dependent on the recovery of salmon. It is all related."

Read the full story: Wildlife dilemma: protect killer whales or the fish they eat?

Photo by Jeff Lorton / West Coast Wildlife Adventures

High-speed rail "coming to America"

The Wall Street Journal's Middle Seat blog reports on reactions to $8 billion of federal stimulus money going to high-speed rail development.

Airlines were upset because high-speed rail could signal competition and "further erode their customer bases."

In two or three decades, Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood said at the FAA annual forecasting conference, U.S. cities will be connected by high-speed rail – whether airlines like it or not.

"Let me give you a little bit of political advice: Don’t be against high-speed rail," Sec. LaHood said. "It’s coming to America. This is the president’s vision, this is the vice president’s vision, this is America’s vision…. We’re going to get into the high-speed rail business."

European and Asian countries such as Taiwan (picture right) already have high-speed rail lines.

Read the full story: LaHood to airlines: get onboard the high-speed train

Photo from Stephen Fung.net

Green travel tips

Go Green Travel Green gives seven tips on how to choose an eco-friendly travel destination.

Among the tips are: check public transport options, green accommodation options, and "walkability."

Read the full story: 7 tips for choosing a green travel destination

Photo from Frommers

Arizona hotel offers "EcoRooms"

Terra Curve reports on the eco-upgrade at Arizona hotel Kings Ransom Sedona.

After the success of offering environmentally-friendly rooms at the Kings other property, the hotel chain now has 95 at this property.

The EcoRooms offer natural soaps, lotions and shampoos along with energy-efficient lighting, low-flow shower heads, use nontoxic cleaning products and reuse linen.

"Our housekeeping staff is also enthusiastic as we now use earth-friendly cleaning products which they love," said Amy Bertorelli, president of the Kings Ransom Sedona Hotel. "We believe it is vitally important for individuals and businesses to be mindful of our planet’s health and contribute to sustaining that health by implementing green practices daily."

Read the full story: Sedona hotel comes equipped with eco-ammenities

Photo from Terra Curve.com

Delaware park makes maple sugar

National Parks Traveler reports on this weekend's maple sugaring demonstration in Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area.

National Park Service rangers and Millbrook Village Society volunteers will demonstrate the sugaring process from “tree to table.” Visitors will learn about tapping maple trees, collecting sap and boiling it down to make syrup and sugar. Recipes for maple-based foods will be available. In addition, some village buildings will be open for tours and craft demonstrations.

Read the full story: 'Maple sugaring' demonstration in Delaware

Photo by National Parks Service

Eco-friendly White House Easter Egg Roll

Mother Nature Network reports on the eco-friendly nature of this year's White House Easter Egg Roll.

The eggs (pictured right) are made from Forest Stewardship Council certified wood and painted with vegetable-oil and water based inks and coatings.

The Roll's activities will focus on getting kids to be active and healthy. First Lady Michelle Obama's campaign called Let's Move! brings awareness and solutions to childhood obesity.

Read the full story: White House to host eco-friendly Easter Egg Roll

Photo from Whitehouse.gov

Orphaned gorillas could return to wild

The Guardian reports on the plans to release two orphaned young gorillas back into the wild.

Ndeze and Ndakasi (picture left) were orphaned after their parents were killed during the 2007 massacres in Congo's Virunga National Park that left 10 gorillas dead.

Negotiations are under way to bring two adult gorillas from Rwanda to become their adoptive parents, with a view to returning the babies to the wild.

The return of the gorillas from Rwanda depends on the completion of the Senkwekwe Centre, a specially designed sanctuary for Ndeze and Ndakasi in a lush forest habitat in Virunga park. The pair, each two and a half years old, moved there last December from a makeshift shelter in the city of Goma.

Besides the threat of poaching, the gorillas habitat is being slowly cut down as people seeking wood for fuel encroach more and more into the forests.

Read the full story: New hope for mountain gorillas

Photo from Virunga National Park

Sierra Leone to save mangroves

Reuters reports on conservationists' efforts to protect what's left of West African mangrove forests.

The mangrove trees have been cut down to fuel salt production in Sierra Leone.

For generations, villagers have scraped "salt dust" from the soil, added seawater, and boiled it over wood stoves.

Marie Kano, head of the salt producers association, said many of the mangrove trees used for fuel have already gone. "We don't have any wood left now," she said. "My children, sister and father ... all used to cook salt. But because there is no wood anymore, they all left and went to town."

Now conservation groups are trying to salvage the few remaining forests while helping the poor residents keep their livelihoods.

Solar-panel fueled salt extractors are being introduced, the mangroves replanted and carbon trading schemes in the works.

Read the full story: West Africa sets out to protect dying mangroves

Photograph by Royalty Free / CORBIS

Eco-pics for armchair travelers

Mother Nature Network showcases their "Eco-photos of the week" including this one of a fake camel carcass in Sydney, Australia that visitors can take shelter in.

Look at the all the photos here

Photo by Discovery Channel via Getty Images

Pedal the New Zealand monorail

Reuters video (that does not allow embedding anymore by the way) reports on a new bicycling monorail in New Zealand.

The Schweeb utilizes a special clear pod that users pedal to get around on the set monorail track in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Right now it's in development but the creators hope to incorporate their technology in cities as a clean transport system.

Watch the video: A monorail that gets you pedaling

Sea lions back in SF

USA Today reports on the return of sea lions to San Francisco bay.

After an abrupt disappearance that left tourists disappointed and experts baffled, sea lions are slowly returning to San Francisco's Pier 39.

Last fall, after ballooning to a population of 1,700 animals layered two and three deep on the docks, the sea lions departed as if following orders, leaving behind only a few stragglers.

Marine experts believe the animals might have traveled 500 miles north, looking for fish and colder waters along the Oregon coast.

Read the full story: Famed sea lions returning to San Francisco's Pier 39

Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Desert eagles to lose endangered protections

Treehugger reports on the desert bald eagles imminent removal from endangered protection.

48 breeding pairs of bald eagle survive along the rivers of the otherwise hot and dry Sonoran Desert. Currently, this small group of eagles is listed on the federal list of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife but, if a new petition from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is approved, they would lose that protection.

It is not the first time the department has motioned to eliminate endangered-species protections from the desert-nesting eagles. The agency has been fighting conservationists in court over the issue since as early as 2006 and, in 2007, a judge threw out their motion to strip the desert eagles of their endangered species protections.

Read the full story: Desert nesting bald eagles set to lose protected status

Photo by Carl Chapman / Flickr

Sled dog races in Idaho

The Idaho Statesman reports on a couple sled dog races in Central Idaho this month.

Fairfield is hosting the Soldier Mountain Quest on Friday and Saturday, and Stanley is home to the Dogtown Sled Dog Rendezvous on March 13.

Sled dogs, especially competition teams, are athletes. They prepare for competitions by pulling a sled and musher on multi-mile training sessions many days per week. In the summer, the dogs maintain their aerobic fitness and strength by pulling carts along roads. Canine athletes eat a high-octane diet consisting of protein and fat.

Typical breeds found in dog sledding events include Alaskan malamutes, Alaskan huskies and Siberian huskies. A breed developed in Idaho is the Targhee Hound, an Irish Setter and Staghound mix named after the Targhee Mountains

Read the full story: Sled dogs in action are quite a sight

Photo from Idaho Statesman