Environmental Impact Archives – The Green Optimistic

Hardwood Genes Improve Softwood Biofuel Potential

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 07:00:54 +0000

Yesterday researchers from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Center and University of Wisconsin-Madison published evidence that the environmental impact associated with processing softwoods into biomass can be greatly reduced by bio-engineering. The addition of two hardwood genes to their counterparts, softwoods, may be able to alter the weak environmental tradeoff of creating softwood-derived paper, pulp and biofuel, according […]

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The Environmental Impact of Our Connected Life

Benji Jerew — Fri, 05 Sep 2014 16:50:22 +0000

Have you ever thought about the environmental impact of our adoption of modern technology, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops? It has been said that the world is getting smaller and, in a sense, it is. Thanks to modern technology, we can now communicate, in real time, with people halfway around the globe. Internet-connected devices […]

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Toyota Prius c is Rated Best Life-Cycle Performance, Automotive Science Group Study

Benji Jerew — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:04:30 +0000

The Toyota Prius c is the smallest hybrid electric vehicle Toyota makes, out of over five million Toyota hybrids sold globally. Recently, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy [ACEEE] rated the Toyota Prius c Greenest Vehicle. This is an impressive accolade, but addresses only the vehicle’s greenness. Sure, the ACEEE study included things […]

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Anti-Depressant Water Pollution: Aggressive Fish on Prozac?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:45:32 +0000

Abuse of prescription drugs is a big problem today, ranging from self-medicating physicians to dealers on the street. A similar problem has been found in water pollution downstream from waste treatment plants. Self-medication is problem because a number of considerations need to be taken in order to make a proper drug prescription, including allergies, body […]

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Lithium Ion Battery Production Has Unhealthy Effects, EPA Study Shows

Benji Jerew — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:19:01 +0000

According to a recent report by the US Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], in-use carbon dioxide emissions don’t tell the whole story of lithium-ion battery packs. Lithium-ion battery packs are the current best-technology for just about all electric vehicles and even some hybrid electric vehicles. In order to increase the range of an electric vehicle, a reliable and […]

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