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Transportation
Natural Gas, Electric Vehicles & Twilight for the Combustion Engine
Aug 27th, 2012 | By Nicole Rogers
What might the future look like if we reframed the problem of oil with a roadmap for natural gas fueling next-generation electric vehicles? Guest blogger and professional futurist Garry Golden makes a case for natural gas as fuel for the electric cars of tomorrow, and twilight for the combustion engine.
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Innovation
A $9 bicycle made from cardboard
Aug 24th, 2012 | By Aubrey Yee
Imagine a $9 bicycle made from recycled cardboard! This is not a dream, but inventory Izhar Gafni's reality. After three years of persistent and tireless trial and error, the Israeli inventor has created a cardboard bicycle that withstands the elements, looks really cool and will help make biking financially accessible to millions more people worldwide. In the effort to reduce oil consumption, pioneers like Gafni are at the forefront of important and inspiring innovation.
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Transportation
The debate over Natural Gas
Aug 22nd, 2012 | By Aubrey Yee
Natural gas as an alternative to oil has been a heated topic of debate. With the release of films like "Gaslands" and other calls for alarm in the media, it's become difficult to discern reality from unfounded anxiety. We've tried to clarify this complex issue by laying out the basic arguments and evidence from both sides of the camp. With the lower emissions of natural gas and its position as a currently cheaper and domestically produced alternative to imported oil, there seems to be a strong case for natural gas as an intermediate solution to help ease America's oil addiction while we refine more long-term sustainable alternatives.
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Food System
Farming in Skyscrapers
Aug 20th, 2012 | By Nicole Rogers
Just what is 'vertical farming', and will it work? Dickson Despommier rhapsodizes about farming in skyscrapers. Is it a realistic vision of the future of urban farming?
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Transportation
Natural Gas Cars and Vehicle Fleets
Aug 17th, 2012 | By Nicole Rogers
Most people don't think of natural gas fueling cars, but it does! There are natural gas powered cars on U.S. roads right now. The Honda Civic Natural Gas runs entirely on natural gas, using no gasoline. The Honda CNG has a suggested retail price of $26,305, with possible tax incentives available.
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Food System
Open Ocean Aquaculture
Aug 15th, 2012 | By Aubrey Yee
Open Ocean Aquaculture is broadly defined as "the rearing of marine organisms in exposed areas beyond significant coastal influence." In these systems, larger pelagic fish like tuna, halibut or cod are raised for consumption.
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Food System
How CSAs help small farmers during times of drought
Aug 13th, 2012 | By Nicole Rogers
Sustainable America spoke on the phone with farmer Tim Huth, of LotFotL (pronounced like "hot bottle") Farm in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, about the drought of 2012, and how the farm's CSA has helped them weather the heat.
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Transportation
Biofuels...
Aug 10th, 2012 | By Aubrey Yee
With the biofuels sector bringing in some $1.4 billion through investment in just 33 "biomass to energy" technology corporations, there are lots of players looking to get into the game while its still relatively early. Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is considered biological material from living or recently living organisms.
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Food System
What is a factory farm?
Aug 8th, 2012 | By Aubrey Yee
A burger is a burger is a burger right? Well, not always so. Where and how your food was raised can make a distinct difference in the taste and nutritional quality of the food. But it’s also important to realize that the food system you choose to support every time you eat can make a difference. Large-scale industrial agriculture contributes to higher oil and fuel usage, more pesticide usage, loss of crop diversity, soil degradation and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
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