How do the fashion-conscious find a way to be cool to the environment while still looking hot on the beach? EOC SWIM BY AQUA GREEN has the answer. The Easton, Pennsylvania-based company creates beautiful swimwear made from recycled water bottles and fishing nets. ECO WIM BY AQUA GREEN also partners with United by Blue to host regular ocean and waterway cleanups.

“The demographic of customers who choose to purchase from socially responsible companies is exploding, so there are obvious marketing benefits of communicating that we are as committed to solving problems as our customers are,” says Alex Waldman of ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN.

According to the Nielsen Global Survey of Corporate Citizenship, Waldman is right. “Ensuring Environmental Sustainability” was ranked as the number one most important cause for socially conscious consumers across the globe.

ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN’s parent company was started by Waldman’s great-grandfather in 1937. After years of hard work and image building, the company became one of the leading manufacturers of swimwear in the US. Today, ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN is attempting to address the heavyweight problem of ocean pollution by cleaning up what it can and raising awareness. “Our family has always been committed to making women look and feel great on the beach. But how can you feel great when the beach is dirty?” says Waldman. “So we decided to use our family’s several decades of experience in swimsuits to address that problem.”

ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN has become on of the world’s leading manufacturers of sustainable swimwear. Its swimsuits can be purchased at department stores and online. For more information about ECO SWIM BY AQUA GREEN’s environmental leadership, swimwear and events, visit the web site at http://www.ecoswim.com, find the brand on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ecoswim, and follow the company on twitter @eco_swim.

ECO SWIM Mission Video

Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/business/press-releases/article/ECO-SWIM-BY-AQUA-GREEN-A-Swimwear-Brand-that-3521613.php#ixzz1u700rXru

By Consuela Conceptionne
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Winters, an ASE-certified mechanic, modified the cars himself using reusable K&N air filters, installing custom air-ride battery suspensions, and changing the battery packs. “I’m only 23 and barely graduated high school,” he said. “The technology’s there and there are way smarter people than me, so I don’t understand why the technology hasn’t advanced.”

Surprisingly, Winters claims to exceed 50 mpg effic while towing two eight hundred pound Harleys , which is better than stock Priuses off the assembly line without the heavy loads. Winters is currently trying to improve efficiency even more by working on a set of wheel generators.

Winters says he decided to start Green Technology after having his two dobermans shipped cross-country. The transport did not go well for the dogs– they arrived dehydrated, underweight, and one was pregnant. As shown on the Uship website, customers give Green Technology nothing but stellar reviews. The company has shipped 36 pet orders and 43 motorcycle orders through Uship to date.

By Consuela Conceptionne
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While US consumers still eagerly anticipate the long promised and still undelivered debut of the electric-powered DUO car, the Chinese will be unveiling a number of clean-energy vehicles in a bid to convince their citizens to stop driving nasty old gasoline powered vehicles.

The Auto-China 2012 exhibition opened last week in Beijing. The exhibition showcases 120 new models of clean-energy vehicles, made both domestically in China as well as internationally. Trying to appease the Chinese government by showing they are bringing electric cars to China, plans have been announced by almost every international car maker to market an electric car in the country. And in the United States? Maybe next year, maybe when the auto market matures. Maybe when the auto industry and the petroleum lobby decide to allow it.

China, although currently not known for its environmental initiatives, is eager to lower its dependence on fossil fuels. It wants to see 5 million electric cars on its highways by 2020, and it has pledged more than $14 billion to develop the technology and infrastructure to reach this goal. The government also hopes to gain an edge over foreign auto makers by developing its own clean-energy technology. Additionally, the Chinese are pressuring foreign auto makers to invest in clean-energy in cooperation with Chinese joint-venture partners.

Sales of clean-energy vehicles have so far been quite low. Volkswagen, which has already announced plans to market electric vehicles in China, projects that it will only have managed to sell 10,000 such vehicles by 2018. To date, few clean-energy cars are actually on sale in China. The cost of the vehicle remains high and the technology does not allow a competitive offer versus a traditional car,” said Yann Lacroix, an analyst with Euler Hermes.

Analysts expect sales to increase in 2020, when the prices of electric vehicles are expected to be more comparable to that of traditional cars.

This Chinese electric car is happy

Oh- and although you still can’t buy one, if you want to see what the sale sticker on a Duo would look like if you could then follow this link.

Why is this American electric car frowning?

More information on Green Initiatives at the Beijing Auto Show can be found here.

By Consuela Conceptionne
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The opening of the complex coincided with the Obama administration’s recently-announced series of initiatives to create a greener US military. The goal of the initiatives is to generate enough renewable energy on military bases by 2025 to equal the output of three nuclear plants.

The federal government currently uses about 2 percent of the total US energy consumption, and of that the military uses 90 percent. Reducing consumption of fossil fuels will make the military more efficient, but it will also save lives. Many casualties of war in Iraq and Afghanistan involved convoys hauling fuel into battle areas. Projects developed at the new complex could make the military bases less dependent on the national power grid.

The government hopes that some of the technology developed at the military labs could also spur private sector innovations for passenger and commercial vehicles. Additionally, the potential exists for joint-projects between the military and the private sector.

Grand opening of the Army’s new automotive test and evaluation lab in Detroit, Michigan. Produced by Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Peavy.

Read more:
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/Army-lab-to-develop-energy-saving-technology-.html

By Consuela Conceptionne
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The company has already successfully tested their process in various locations throughout Israel. Their method requires that the collected waste matter be at least 60 percent cellulose in order to maintain enough elasticity to convert the matter into a new solid. As this story gets grosser by the sentence, the company’s founder and CEO, Rafael Aharon, has affirmed that the process is 100 percent clean and safe, and that the finished paper products do not retain any foul odors or tastes.

Aharon estimates that 10 percent of the paper market can be serviced through recycled human waste. Applied Clean Tech is trying to expand their wastewater recycling business into the international market. Europe and the United States are looking into the technology, and China is currently building 1,000 such facilities. Of course, Aharon notes, this process would be a tough cell for countries such as India and Thailand, where people use a hand-wash method of keeping clean.

While this new method of recycling can be a huge save for the planet, the biggest hurdle to overcome will be getting people to accept it. After all, who wants to lick an envelope that was partially-manufactured in your toilet?

For more information, see http://www.digitaltrends.com/international/your-bowel-movements-can-save-the-planet/.

By Consuela Conceptionne
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Not far from usedcisco.com world headquarters, in Parsippany, NJ a local corporate office devel will host its first ever joint landlord and tenant green corporate fair collaborative on Friday, April 20. The Morris Corporate Center III is hosting the event to kick off its “Tenants Go Green” program to develop eco-friendly policies and save energy.

Vendors of green products will provide demonstrations and exhibits, from light bulb and battery recycling to sustainable floor and wall coverings. Whole Foods Market of Madison, Classic Cafe of Parsippany, and Cafe Metro of Denville will distribute free sustainable food and beverage samples, and representatives of the New Jersey Clean Energy Program will be on hand to discuss energy savings programs and lighting alternatives.

The Green Fair will be held in the atrium between buildings B and C at 400 Interpace Parkway. The public is encouraged to attend.
For more information, see http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20120416/NJNEWS/304160026/Tenants-go-green-as-office-complex-celebrates-Earth-Day .

By Consuela Conceptionne

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Green Bay’s Public Works Department has two new state-of-the-art salt spreaders that waste less salt than conventional spreaders. The new technology pre-wets the salt before it is applied to the roads, which helps the salt better stick to the roads.

Water jets spraying the salt upon release

The new method cuts salt waste down from 30% to 4%. Green Bay plans to retrofit its entire truck fleet with the new system, saving the city an expected $100,000 annually.

Click on the image below to go to YouTube and view WLUK’s news report on the new salt spreaders.

Fans headed to the game and traveling through Detroit might want to check a new online application from Wayne County, Michigan, that lets users better plan for travel through snowy areas. The interactive website is called Compass and it allows users to see where the county’s salt trucks are located as well as which roads have already been plowed. Its most impressive feature allows users to view road conditions from the perspective of a driver.

Zayd Allebban, director of enterprise applications for Wayne County, noted another benefit of Compass – transparency and accountability for taxpayers’ money. “It is taxpayer money that is funding all this, so they certainly have a right to see exactly what we are doing with it.”

A mobile app version for both Apple and Android is currently in development. Projections for 2012-2013 include an even more interactive version that allows users to report roads that need plowing or salting. For more information, see http://www.govtech.com/e-government/Detroit-Snowplow-App.html.

By Consuela Conceptionne

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The YikeBikes, which have an approximate range of 6.5 miles and a top speed of 14 miles per hour, come in two versions: a 23lb carbon-fibre version that sells for just under S$5,000 and a slightly heavier (31lb) version made from a combination of aluminum and other materials that sells for just under S$3,000.

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Also introduced at the CEEA was a portable solar charger developed by Third Wave Power. The device charges in six hours using solar power or one hour using an electric outlet. It can charge any personal electronic device including mobile phones, laptops, and cameras, and it also doubles as a light, radio, or ultrasonic insect repellent. Third Wave Power envisions the charger to gain 50 to 60 million potential users in India, especially among medical professionals who work in areas without adequate electricity. It is expected to hit store in Southeast Asia early next year.

For more information, see here

By Joshua Levitt
Managing Director for UsedCisco.com

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Green auditing has been slower to take off in the United States than in the European Union, where companies need accurate counts of carbon discharges to comply with an emissions trading scheme.
Office Depot and Kimberly Clark have both begun using green audits. In 2003, Office Depot was forced to change its environmental practices after being picketed. Among other changes, it cut off a vendor of paper supplies and began tracking its carbon emissions. The company also began publicly releasing the results of its annual green audits. Today Office Depot is has won the praise of environmental groups.

Kimberly Clark, maker of Kleenex and Cottonelle, has long been vilified by Greenpeace and other environmental activists for its use of forest fiber and for misleading sustainability reports. The company came to an agreement with Greenpeace that incrementally reduced its consumption of non- recycled forest fiber. Its reports are now reviewed by a sustainability consultant and an outside advisory board.

Investors have also become a source of pressure for companies to use green audits. The California Public Employees Retirement System, one of the largest institutional investors in the country, is a key proponent of green audits.

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By Joshua Levitt
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Workers at Gestion Ambiental, a company devoted to the collection, treatment and final disposal of electric and electronic waste in Buenos Aires.
Credit:Juan Moseinco/IPS
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Mobile phones are a big source of toxic pollution. When they break down, they release highly toxic substances and heavy metals that contaminate the air, soil and water tables. According to Gustavo Fernández, owner of Escrap, a company that handles e-waste from large companies, mobile phones are the most dangerous of all e-waste products. “They are like an atomic bomb,” he explained, because they release carcinogenic substances and highly persistent pollutants.

Fernandez joined with the organization Greenpeace Argentina in support of legislation currently being studied by the Argentinian Congress which would make manufacturers of electronic devices responsible for their recycling or otherwise safe disposal. The bill also provides incentives for manufactures to design non-toxic, easily recyclable devices that are free of toxic substances, as well as proposing a national system for the safe disposal of e-waste. Cities with populations over 10,000 would be required to establish

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By Joshua Levitt
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