There are a lot of options when it comes to telling time off the grid.  It seems that alternative-powered clocks are everywhere, but they're not usually inexpensive and some require a lot of work to keep them juiced.  read more »

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Companies like Google and IBM are trying to lead the world in cutting-edge, efficient data centers.  Not to be outdone, on Tuesday Yahoo announced they're hoping to change to future of data centers as well.  The company unveiled plans to build one of the world's most efficient data centers in Lockport, NY and the details do sound pretty exciting.  read more »

Toyota is secretly developing a car powered by solar cells mounted on the vehicle’s roof, according to a report today from Japan’s Nikkei newspaper.  read more »

By doping honey bees with cocaine, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered evidence that the insect brain has a reward system.

As is tradition, a new year brings extra cause for moments of introspection. It’s a time to plot goals for what’s ahead, partly based on self-assessment of how we handled the year that’s just passed.

For me, one aspect of the environment-minded life stands starkly clear from the rest: personal transportation.  read more »

Dog days of August? Not at sustainablog!

While most people are wondering if the summer heat is ever going to end, we were hitting our stride here: many more posts, and much more variety. Perhaps it was the cool breeze created by fingers flying across the keyboard…  read more »

Last Wednesday, President-elect Barack Obama announced former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as his choice to be the next Secretary of Agriculture. The appointment has fueled growing concern from ethanol critics, who worry that the Obama administration may expand subsidies to an industry that they feel has already received more than its fair share of generosity from Washington.  read more »

A 250 turbine wind farm planned to be built about 10 miles offshore in Wales has just been approved. The project will (hopefully) begin feeding electricity to the grid in 2012, and will have a peak power production of 750 MW, enough to power around 680,000 Welsh homes.  read more »

In this week's YouTube address, President-Elect Obama outlined some more specific points of his economic recover plan. I suppose he could give a me another check for $200 and call it quits. But instead, it looks like he's going to use that money in the way that energy advisers have been praying someone would for ages...by increasing efficiency.  read more »