Green Tech

Take a look at a pile of food scraps, and most eco-minded folks think “compost.” And sure enough, that’s a great way to recycle. (Or is it “reuse”?)

In any case, there’s another use for your rotting apple cores and moldering orange peels: Energy. A few municipalities have started setting up facilities to capture the biogas that escapes as organic matter decomposes and turn that gas into energy.

Green mobile app developer 3rdWhale will be the first mobile app developer to join 1% For the Planet, a “growing global movement of 1,202 companies that donate 1% of their sales to a network of 1,781 environmental organizations worldwide.” And they want your help deciding where their money will go!

Ed Begley Jr. and wife Rachelle Carson star in "Living with Ed"

You’ve been doing your part to go green — turning down your thermostat, sorting that recycling, driving less, composting. Now it’s your turn to take a break and watch what other people are doing to go green.

You’ve been doing your part for the planetary ecosystem by biking and walking instead of driving. And you’ve been doing your part for your inner ecosystem by making better food choices. Suddenly, you make a delightful discovery: Your skinny jeans fit again!

Fab. So … what do you do with your old “fat jeans”?

I recently had to order printer cartridges on eBay and have them shipped to me from China. (I will spare you the details, but it involves incompatibility issues with European-sold cartridges.) This makes me feel extra guilty about anything I print now.

So I was happy to discover that a Dutch creative agency, SPRANQ, has found a way to reduce ink usage by up to 20 percent with its recently developed Ecofont. The font is designed with holes in the middle of the letters – sort of a Swiss cheese effect – and is free to download for personal use on a Mac or PC.

The new commercial from the Coen brothers.

Academy Award-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen are always up for a challenge — after all, they’ve worked with notorious prankster George Clooney on three different movies! — but this time they’re taking on the coal industry.

The filmmaking duo have directed a new TV spot for an environmental coalition that’s trying to demolish the notion that there’s anything clean about so-called “clean coal.”

Since I’m currently living as an expatriate in Sweden, I have been watching the stimulus package action from afar — with envy! Details are now emerging on how U.S. homeowners can take advantage of tax credits for energy-efficient improvements: a 30 percent rebate, up to a max of $1,500 for most projects. (The old federal tax credit was 10 percent up to a max of $500.)

Tucked between the Colorado foothills and a watering stop for migrating Canadian geese are the Gaiam corporate offices in Louisville, CO. We have a beautiful view of the Rocky Mountains from all west-facing windows, but it’s the view from our rooftop that takes my breath away.

A new car looms in my future. My current ride has over 200,000 miles on it. While it’s still going strong, there’s no escaping the fact it probably won’t make it to 300,000. Normally, I’d just go out and get another full-size model. But with innovation going like gangbusters in the zero-emissions, alternative fuel, small neighborhood car space, I’m thinking I might try a new strategy: Buy something small and cute (and easy to park — a big plus in crowded cities) for everyday driving, and use a rental or car share service for bigger trips.

The long dark days of winter are here, bringing us cheery snowmen, cozy nights by the fire, and… sky-high heating bills. There’s nothing to be done, you think. You’ve got to heat the house, right? Well yes, but there might be a way to reduce the amount of energy you use — without resorting to three layers of sweaters and goofy wool hats.