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<title><![CDATA[green design news from mongabay.com]]></title>
<link>http://www.mongabay.com</link>
<description><![CDATA[green design news.]]></description>
<language>en-us</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2006 mongabay.com</copyright>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Oct 2008 12:58:39 -0800</pubDate>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Big computer makers pitch energy efficiency to sell more services, equipment]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Tech giants are using high power costs to market new energy efficiency computers to large corporate data centers, reports the <i>Wall Street Journal</i>.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0909-tech.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0909-tech.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Algae could yield 30 times more biofuel than soybeans, while cleaning the environment]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Algae could be used as a biofuel while simultaneously cleaning up the environment, report researchers at the University of Virginia.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0815-algae.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0815-algae.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Breakthrough in solar energy: ten times more effective solar power may be available in three years]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The breakthrough scientists have been waiting for to make solar power cheaper, more efficient--and therefore a more effective replacement for traditional energy sources--has been made by a group of MIT researchers.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0710-hance_solar.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0710-hance_solar.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Whale biomimicry inspires better wind turbines]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[By studying and mimicking the characteristics of the flippers, fins and tails of whales and dolphins, engineers have devised more a efficient way to generate wind power, reports a researcher presenting at the Society for Experimental Biology's Annual Meeting in Marseille, France.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0707-whale_biomimicry.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0707-whale_biomimicry.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Future cities will be more like ecosystems that enrich society and the environment]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As The World Science Festival continues in New York this week, specialists in vastly diverse fields across scientific disciplines are coming together to talk about ideas, problems and solutions.  From Astronomy to Bioacoustics, the dialogues about challenges and opportunities are rich and inspiring.  At the front of this year's festival rests the issue of sustainability and how scientists, specialists and society will address the imminent environmental and economic trials we are sure to face in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0530-tina_joachim.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0530-tina_joachim.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Amazon farming technique may fight global warming]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Fifteen hundred years ago, tribes people from the central Amazon basin mixed their soil with charcoal derived from animal bone and tree bark. Today, at the site of this charcoal deposit, scientists have found some of the richest, most fertile soil in the world. Now this ancient, remarkably simple farming technique seems far ahead of the curve, holding promise as a carbon-negative strategy to rein in world hunger as well as greenhouse gases.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0411-terra_preta.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0411-terra_preta.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New plastics dervied from CO2 emissions could fight global warming]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Efforts to slow global warming by "scrubbing" carbon dioxide smokestack emissions could generate a material for the production of DVDs, beverage bottles and other products made from polycarbonate plastics, say chemists speaking at the 235th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0408-plastics.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0408-plastics.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Gecko-inspired adhesive tape could improve recovery from surgery]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Researchers are close to developing a biodegradable surgical adhesive based on biomimicry of gecko feet.  Geckos are famous for their ability to walk on ceilings and vertical surfaces.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0218-gecko.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0218-gecko.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Nike to launch "green" eco-shoe]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[When Nike unveils the $185 Air Jordan XX3 this weekend at the NBA All-Star Game festivities this weekend, it will be the culmination of a company-wide effort to reduce the environmental impact of its footwear manufacturing, according to <a target=_blank href=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120303911940170393.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace>The Wall Street Journal</a>.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0215-nike.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 15 Feb 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0215-nike.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Carbon tax would make China greener and reduce warming risks]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Driven by booming economic growth and rapid urbanization, China's carbon dioxide emissions are surging.  At the same time, forecasts suggest climate change will have an immense impact on the country, with rising sea levels projected to swamp key industrial areas and diminished rainfall reducing agricultural output.  Given this outlook, a new policy paper published in Science argues that China will need to embark on a cleaner path to growth, one that is less dependent on coal.  The authors say that international assistance in the form of carbon funds could help persuade Chinese leadership to move towards more environmentally-friendly energy technologies.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0207-china.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0207-china.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Staples dumps Asia Pulp &amp; Paper over its destruction of virgin rainforests]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Office supply giant Staples Inc. dropped Asia Pulp &amp; Paper Co. Ltd. (APP), one of the world's largest paper companies, as a supplier due to concerns over its environmental performance, reports Tom Wright of the Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0208-staples.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0208-staples.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[New program pays Canadians for energy efficiency gains]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As I write this article, CBS News is having a Sunday evening prime-time, hour long special on global warming. What is alarming is both the extent of how bad the situation is for the planet, the impact on wildlife (e.g . Polar Bear populations dwindling dangerously low due to reduced glaciers) and the alleged refusal of certain governments to acknowledge both that there is a fact based problem and that we are running out of time to reduce its effects on the air we breathe, our environments, our forests and its wildlife population.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0120-ecoenergy.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 Jan 2008 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0120-ecoenergy.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Termites may produce cleaner biofuels]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Termites may be the key to greener, more effective biofuels, report scientists writing in the November 22 edition of the journal Nature.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1123-termites.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 23 Nov 2007 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/1123-termites.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Big companies push energy efficiency]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Some of the world's largest companies are pushing green initiatives to improve energy efficiency in office buildings reports the Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0905-wsj.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0905-wsj.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Guidelines to ensure biofuels production won't hurt the environment]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Environmentalists have long seen biofuels as a means to improve the sustainability of transportation and energy use since they are a renewable source of energy that can be replenished on an ongoing basis.  Further, because biofuels are generally derived from plants, which absorb carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, biofuel production offers the potential to help offset carbon dioxide emissions and mitigate climate change. Nonetheless, in recent years, there has been considerable backlash against biofuels, which are increasingly viewed as a threat to the environment.  Green groups now point to large-scale land conversion for energy crops, higher food prices, and a spate to studies that suggest net emissions from corn ethanol are little better than those from fossil fuels, to caution that biofuels can cause more problems than they address.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0830-biofuels.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0830-biofuels.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Apple comes up a bit short on eco-credentials of new iMac]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While Apple has touted the environmental attributes of its newest iMac, critics say the new computer failed to live up to the company's goals for the use of mercury, reports the San Jose Mercury.  In May, Apple said it would eventually replace mercury-containing fluorescent backlights in its LCD monitors with LEDs backlights, but the new computers don't use the new technology.  The company said it still face technological hurdles in rolling out the new LCDs.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0810-apple.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 10 Aug 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0810-apple.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Google to be carbon neutral by year end]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Google Inc. aims to be carbon neutral by the end of 2007, according to a statement posted on the Official Google Blog. The search giant plans to fight global warming by investing in and using renewable energy sources; reducing energy consumption by maximizing efficiency, and purchasing carbon offsets for the greenhouse gas emissions that it cannot reduce directly.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0620-google.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0620-google.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Google will put $10M towards plug-in hybrid cars]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Google.org, Google Inc.'s philanthropic arm, today unveiled an initiative to convert hybrid cars to plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), a move that will cut carbon dioxide emissions, reduce oil use, and help stabilize the electrical grid.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0619-google.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0619-google.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Google, Intel seek greener computers]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Google, Intel, and other tech giants announced an energy efficiency drive develop "greener" computers that use 50 percent less power by 2010.  The plan, dubbed the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, seeks to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming..]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0613-google.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 13 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0613-google.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Google, Microsoft launch energy efficiency initiative]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants announced an energy efficiency drive to reduce computer power consumption by 50 percent by 2010.  The scheme, dubbed the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, seeks to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change global warming.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0612-google.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0612-google.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[World's largest movement has no leader but 100M employees]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The world's largest movement has no name, no leader, and no ideology, but may directly involve more than 100 million people, said a green business pioneer.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0611-hawken.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jun 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0611-hawken.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Improving energy efficiency will require overcoming market distortions]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In a new study, McKinsey&amp;Company, one the world's most respected management consulting firms, reports that the world should be able to cut energy demand growth by half over the next 15 years without compromising economic growth.  However it says that market forces along will not drive the transition--targeted policies will be needed to overcome present market failures and policy distortions.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0520-mckinsey.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0520-mckinsey.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[16 cities to get energy-saving retrofits]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Sixteen cities will get financing to make buildings "greener" through environmental renovations, former President Clinton announced Wednesday at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York, where mayors and local government officials are meeting to discuss strategies to flight global warming.  The green building initiatives will cut carbon emissions and reduce waste.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0517-clinton.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0517-clinton.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Ancient Amazonian technology could save the world]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Terra preta, the ancient charcoal-based soil used by ancient Amazonians to create permanently fertile agricultural lands in the rainforest, is getting serious consideration as a means to fight global warming and meet domestic energy demand, reports an article in Scientific American.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0517-terra_preta.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0517-terra_preta.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Urban parks can offset warming effects of climate change says study]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Increasing the number of urban parks and street trees in a city could offset the local heat effects of global warming, reports a new study by researchers at the University of Manchester.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0514-urban.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0514-urban.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA['Green' dams could reduce GHG emissions]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Scientists in Brazil have developed a way to reduce greenhouse emissions from large hydro-electric dams, according to a report from BBC News. The technology, developed by researchers at Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE), extracts methane from reservoir water to supplement energy produced by the dam turbines.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0514-dams.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0514-dams.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Apple defends green credentials, promises to do better]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[In a open letter posted Wednesday, Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs countered claims by green groups that the iPod and computer maker lagged in recycling and removing toxic chemicals from its products.  He said the company is already an industry leader when it comes to the environment and that Apple will continue to reduce its impact on the planet.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0504-green_apple.html</link>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0504-green_apple.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Renewable chemicals for green plastics gain ground]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A bio-plastics revival is furthering driving up commodity prices according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal. The article reports that high oil prices are leading manufacturers to substitute agricultural produce-based plastics for petroleum-based plastics.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0419-wsj.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0419-wsj.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Luxury designers are clueless when it comes to green fashion]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While cutting-edge designers use eco-friendly fabrics made from the likes of bamboo and hemp to craft comfortable and stylish clothes that have a reduced impact on the planet, 'green' fashion has been slow to take off at the luxury level, reports an article in today's Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0419-fashion.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0419-fashion.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Littering with new plastic might not harm dolphins, sea turtles]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A new environmentally friendly plastic that degrades in seawater may make it possible to toss plastic waste overboard without killing turtles, dolphins and other marine life, according to research presented at the 233rd national meeting of the American Chemical Society by scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0328-plastic.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0328-plastic.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Green construction booms as housing market tanks]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[While the residential housing market goes bust, the green construction sector is weathering the storm nicely, according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0221-wsj.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2007 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0221-wsj.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Balloon technology could cut cost of solar energy 90% by 2010]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[With high energy prices and mounting concerns over human-induced climate change, there is intense interest in renewable energy, especially solar, which produces no pollution and is readily available in the form of sunlight. In recent years, however, the solar energy market has been hampered by supply shortages of refined silicon, the critical resource needed for solar cell fabrication. Further, because solar installations traditionally require a large surface area to capture as much sunlight as possible, solar arrays often take up real estate, occupying land used agricultural production and other purposes. Without government subsidies, solar is not presently viable in many areas.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0221-coolearth.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2007 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0221-coolearth.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Green computing - Dell releases energy-saving server]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Dell released a premium line of energy-efficient servers that consume considerably less power than regular models, joining a list of firms that offer consumers 'greener' products.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1204-dell.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1204-dell.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Showerhead cuts water use by injecting air bubbles]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[As Australians become increasingly alert to the importance of using water wisely in the home, CSIRO researchers have found a way to use a third less water when you shower -- by adding air. The scientists have developed a simple 'air shower' device which, when fitted into existing showerheads, fills the water droplets with a tiny bubble of air. The result is the shower feels just as wet and just as strong as before, but now uses much less water.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1109-csiro.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Nov 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1109-csiro.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Shark biomimicry produces renewable energy system]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[An Australian firm has developed a renewable tidal energy conversion system based on the highly efficient fin structure of shark, tuna, and mackerel. BioPower Systems Pty Ltd., a renewable energy systems company based in Eveleigh, New South Wales, says that its bioSTREAM technology for converting tidal and marine current energy into electricity is modeled on biological species, such as shark and tuna, that use Thunniform-mode swimming propulsion.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1101-biopower.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Nov 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1101-biopower.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Bacteria can generate renewable energy from pollution, help fight global warming]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Currently, most energy production generates carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and local pollution. At the same time that carbon dioxide concentrations are rising in the atmosphere, fueling higher temperatures, burgeoning population growth of humans and livestock is producing ever-increasing amounts of organic pollution and waste.  Now researchers at the Center for Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University are working on a way to solve both problems using bacteria to convert organic wastes into a source of electricity. Bruce Rittmann, Director of the Center for Environmental Biotechnology at the Biodesign Institute, and his team of researchers are developing microbial fuel cells (MFC) that can oxidize organic pollutants and create electricity from pollution.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1026-rittmann.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1026-rittmann.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Bacteria can ensure clean water say researchers]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Water is shaping up to be one of the most critical problems facing humanity.  With water consumption far outstripping population growth rates due to surging industrial and agricultural demand, the World Bank estimates that 40 percent of the world's population -- more than 2.5 billion people -- are enduring some form of water scarcity.  In China, where massive river relocation projects to shift water from the south to the dry north are under consideration, an official government survey found that some 300 million Chinese drink unsafe water tainted by chemicals and other contaminants, while 90% of China's cities have polluted ground water. Elsewhere, development experts say that access to reliable, safe and affordable water is key to poverty alleviation efforts and that addressing declining groundwater supplies and water pollution is be critical to raising the quality of life in poor regions.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1025-rittmann.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 24 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1025-rittmann.html</guid>
</item>
<item>
<title><![CDATA[Hospitals go green]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Some hospitals are going "green" in an effort to cut pollution and toxic emissions that hurt the health of patients and surrounding communities according to an article in today's issue of The Wall Street Journal.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1004-wsj.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Oct 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1004-wsj.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Shift from hard drives to flash may have environmental benefits]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A leading technology research group says flash, or solid state memory drives may soon replace the standard hard drives in laptops.  Over the past few years, flash memory technology has been claiming an increasingly sizeable share of the market, particularly in the form of USB drives.  According to the Gartner Group, the NAND flash market has grown from 1.56 billion in 200 to 11.42 billion in 2005, with even higher projections for the next two years.  This summer, Samsung set a new bar by releasing computers that utilize flash memory storage, negating the need for traditional magnetic disk media.  The implications of a shift for laptops are significant for a number of reasons including changing performance demand, market trends and investment opportunities.  Unconsidered at this point, but nonetheless compelling, is the possible environmental impact of such a transition.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0828-tina_butler.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 28 Aug 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0828-tina_butler.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[New green building material could cut wood demand in China, India]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Australian researchers have developed a strong, lightweight building material that they believe could serve as the base for "green construction" in countries like as China and India. Dr Obada Kayali and Mr Karl Shaw of the University of New South Wales have developed building materials that can be manufactured entirely from waste fly ash, a fine powder that is a byproduct of coal-burning power plants.  The researchers say that their "unique manufacturing method traps any harmful chemicals, creating an eco-friendly construction material that saves on construction costs and reduces generation of greenhouse gases."  Further, the building materials are at least twenty percent lighter and stronger than comparable products made from clay, and take less time to manufacture.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0731-nsw.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0731-nsw.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Northern Ireland madantes green energy for new buildings]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The changes, which all apply to all new homes, company and public buildings, will make micro-generation, such as solar panels to heat hot water, solar photo voltaic panels on roofs to generate electricity or small wind turbines for houses, mandatory in under two years.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0725-ireland.html</link>
<pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0725-ireland.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[High school students compete in solar car race]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Beginning on July 16th, high school students from the US, Puerto Rico and India will travel to Texas Motor Speedway to compete in the 11th annual Dell-Winston School Solar Car Challenge, a race tasking students to design, build and race their own solar powered cars.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0713-solar.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 13 Jul 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0713-solar.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Consumers want environmentally friendly computers]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A study conducted earlier this year by Ipsos-MORI on behalf of Greenpeace found that consumers say they would be willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly computer. The amounts ranged from $59 in Germany, $118 in UK, $199 in China and $229 in Mexico.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0626-tech.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jun 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0626-tech.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Africa's deforestation rate may be underestimated]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Africa's deforestation rate may be underestimated by satellite imagery according to a researcher at the University of Wisconsin.  Holly Gibbs, a Ph.D. candidate at the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment at the University of Wisconsin, presented her findings at a conservation conference held in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0622-africa.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 22 Jun 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0622-africa.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Venture Capitalists, China and Green Technology]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A Bay Area venture capitalist with a storied past, has set his sights on "green technology" and ultimately China, after some compelling remarks from state representatives at a recent conference.  Early this spring, Chinese officials named solar and clean coal technologies as two of their three pre-eminent priorities for investment and development in the near future.  For a country with burgeoning energy needs surpassing what power is presently available, this is both realistic and positive news for environmentalists and economists alike.  Hoping to capitalize, John Doerr and his associates are now funneling cash into the emergent green technology sector, which he, and an increasing number of other investors believe to be the next big thing.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0524-china.html</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0524-china.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[US has low-cost alternatives to oil; peak oil frenzy and human-induced climate change avoidable says Columbia University]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Surging oil prices have fueled calls for the United States to develop new sources of affordable and secure domestic energy.  While renewable energy -- especially biofuels, wind power, and solar technologies -- is an area of particular interest, researchers from the Earth Institute at Columbia University say that the U.S. already has relatively low-cost alternatives to imported oil, including coal, tar sands, and oil shale.  These resources can be extracted and used at a lower cost to the environment than some might expect. In a report published in the most recent issue of Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Klaus S. Lackner and Jeffrey D. Sachs argue that "coal alone could satisfy the country's energy needs of the twenty-first century."  They say that "coal liquefaction, or the process of deriving liquid fuels from coal, is already being used in places and with expanded infrastructure could provide gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel at levels well below current prices."  Further, Sachs and Lackner suggest that "environmental constraints such as increased carbon dioxide emissions arising from greater use of coal and other fossil fuels could be avoided for less than 1 percent of gross world product by 2050," a sum far less than others have estimated.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0513-coal.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 14 May 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0513-coal.html</guid>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Private sector trying to improve environmental, social performance says UN report]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[A growing number of business and industry groups are making efforts to improve their environmental and social performance, especially in such fields as global warming, but more still needs to be done, according to a new United Nations report released today.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0511-un.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 May 2006 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0511-un.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Taking Care of Business: Diapers Go Green]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Every year some 20 billion disposable diapers are dumped into landfills throughout the United States, generating approximately 3.5 million tons of waste which can take 500 years to biodegrade.  Besides creating huge amounts of trash, most disposables are made from materials whitened with chlorine in a process that produces dangerous toxins such as dioxin, furans and other organic chlorines. Cloth diapers--often touted as environmentally superior to disposables--have drawbacks as well, requiring large amounts of water and pesticides, in addition to going through a similar bleaching process.  So what's the ecologically responsible alternative?  Well, it may come from the land down under.  An Australian couple has developed a diaper that is not only biodegradable but serves as a benchmark for green design in that it gives more to the environment than it takes.  "gDiapers", as the product is known, was recently awarded the prestigious "Cradle to Cradle Design Certification Award" from MBDC, a design consulting organization that stresses green design. The diaper is the first packaged consumer product to be so honored.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0402-tina_butler.html</link>
<pubDate>Sun, 02 Apr 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0402-tina_butler.html</guid>
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<item>
<title><![CDATA[Wind turbines could power China says expert]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[Wind could become China's second-largest source of electricity according to a Chinese energy expert. Wang Weicheng, an energy professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told reporters that China has the potential to install up to 100 gigawatts of wind power. Wang's comments come as China has been aggressively expanding its interests in renewable energy sources including wind, solar, biofuels, tidal, and small hydroelectric dams.]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0309-china.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Mar 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0309-china.html</guid>
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<title><![CDATA[Largest solar power plant in a generation to be built in Nevada]]></title>
<description><![CDATA[The groundbreaking for the largest solar thermal power plant to be built in 15 years takes place this weekend in Boulder City, Nevada.  The 64MW Nevada Solar One power plant will generate enough power to meet the electricity needs of about 40,000 households and follows in the steps of the 354MW solar thermal power plants located in California's Mojave Desert. While California's solar plants have generated billions of kilowatt hours of electricity for the past two decades, the Nevada Solar One plant will use new technologies to capture even more energy from the sun]]></description>
<link>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-solar.html</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2006 06:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
<source url="http://www.mongabay.com/">Mongabay.com</source>
<guid>http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-solar.html</guid>
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