Saturday Green Links – 1/29
I found the point/counterpoint about biomass in the Globe really interesting this week. My niece is going to school for forestry, so I feel like I get an inside look at it through her.
- Biomass: Fuel or Folly? – Boston Globe. I’m not sure what to think about biomass. The “it’s energy from wood byproducts” argument is crap, because most of a tree is already used in one way or another, and the rest should decompose on the forest floor to prevent soil degradation. But a renewable resource is better than petroleum, right? I’m torn.
- Winter Tip: Warming Up the Car Engine is More than Unnecessary – Green Upgrader. There’s really no need to warm up a modern car for more than 30 seconds.
- Low-salt diet has some roads getting greener – Boston Globe. Brining roads before a storm can dramatically reduce the amount of salt used.
- Say Hello to Stricter TV Standards – Energy Savers. By 2013, new Energy Star standards for TVs should cut their energy use in half. I knew we were waiting to replace ours for a good reason.
- Preventing Heat From Sneaking Out of the House – New York Times. The Pragmatist does some basic air sealing of his house.
- Drive-by Energy Audits – Building Green. Patches of melted snow on a roof is a sure sign that the house needs more insulation.
- How Small Could You Go? – The Greenest Dollar. I was happy with 700 square feet, but Jason prefers 1,000. How about you?
- It’s CSA Time Again! – The Greenists. This is the perfect time of year to daydream about the great local veggies you’ll get in the spring.
- Updated seafood watch guides – Boston Globe. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has updated its guide to which fish populations are healthy enough to eat.
- Want Green Beer? Stay Close to Home – The Greenists. Jason’s a big fan of the JP brewery Pretty Things.
- U.K. organic milk better for you than conventional, thanks to cows’ grass-based diet – Grist. Organic milk from grass-fed cows in particular is higher in healthy fatty acids. Organic milk from corn-fed cows might not be that different from regular milk.
- A Zero Waste essential: Composting – The Zero Waste Home. I always love reading about other people’s composting systems.
- Homemade Cleaners – Sense of Home. More recipes for homemade cleaners.
- Q&A: Erin Rosenbaum of “Clothes for the World” on making a difference near and far – JP Patch. This is an interesting alternative to the larger charitable clothing organizations. (Thanks, Lesley!)
- The Minimalist Makes His Exit – New York Times. No more Mark Bittman in the New York Times? Nooooooo……
That’s all for now. As always, if you find anything interesting this week, send it my way.
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Posted: January 29th, 2011 under links.
Tags: links
Comment from Sharon
Time January 29, 2011 at 2:40 pm
Now I’m a little embarrassed at the enormous house I was describing this morning. We have 1400 square feet, and if it was proportioned differently I think it would be enough. Even if I got rid of most of my stuff, thinking about the way I use my house, there is no room I could do without, and at least two that need to be bigger to be fully useful. But square footage-wise, our upstairs hallway is way more square feet than it deserves, and our bedroom too few. Blame the architects of the ’20s.