tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77192440109075740452009-12-03T15:52:51.984ZThis blog is a reminder of the piece we often forget when traveling, eating, voting, and building; the green piece. Visit for advice, editorials, and news that complete the puzzle.About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.comBlogger495125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-4386456756996724022009-06-24T19:43:00.001+01:002009-06-24T19:43:16.572+01:00

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-74178000273420432752009-03-11T17:17:00.004Z2009-03-11T20:40:57.806Z

By now, most people know that the stimulus package was crammed with goodies for the environment. There were new tax incentives for renewable energy projects, increased spending for public transportation and funds for making the electric grid more energy efficient.Now that the stimulus package has been passed and the money is making its way into the economy, it's time to turn our attention to the

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If you live in DC, you and I might have the same problem: finding DC environmental info in one place. When I write posts about green happenings around our area, I have to sift through dozens of web calendars, organization sites and local newspapers.A new website called CityRenewed.com has solved this frustrating problem. The site launched in early 2009 and is the most comprehensive source of

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In New York City, a battle is being waged over the role of artificial turf on sports fields in the city’s public parks. Last December, a park in East Harlem was shut down after examiners detected elevated levels of lead coming from the artificial turf on the park’s soccer field. Some samples from the soccer field showed lead levels four times greater than the federal limits for playground soil.

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On Monday night, President Obama spoke to the American people about the urgent need for passage of the stimulus bill before Congress. In his remarks, the President specifically mentioned the importance of funding for energy efficiency improvements in federal buildings. He said, “When people suggest that, ‘What a waste of money to make federal buildings more energy-efficient.’ Why would that be a

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-10183073206071562192009-02-05T15:48:00.004Z2009-02-13T18:52:52.770Z

During the contentious primary battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, one issue they completely agreed upon was the need to address the role energy plays in foreign relations.Growing nations like China, Egypt, Brazil and India are demanding a larger portion of the world's energy supply, while leaders like Vladamir Putin and Hugo Chavez are becoming petro-dictators, wielding increasing

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-40373741223116879202009-02-05T15:28:00.004Z2009-02-13T18:49:56.386Z

It's not unusual to see dual-flush toilets in other countries. If you've never seen one before, they are just like any other toilet, only they allow users to choose one of two flushing options. When you need less water you push one button, or one lever. When you need more water, you push the other button or lever.The idea is to conserve water by not using maximum water flushing if it isn't

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-55362923273368359052009-02-04T22:14:00.004Z2009-02-04T22:20:43.568Z

From the New York Times, guest columnist Aaron Hirsh:"The eldest of the fishermen, Memo, rubs his grizzled chin in somber recollection, for one of our students has just asked a pointed and painful question: Which species have disappeared in his lifetime?As he nears the end of his list, it’s hard not to imagine what might have been: a wildly plentiful eco-system, yielding its riches year after

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-17985898055989501392009-02-04T21:13:00.007Z2009-02-13T18:54:30.115Z

In 2008, the United States overcame Germany to become the top wind energy producer in the world!Much of this achievement is due to the enormous growth of wind energy producers just over the last few years. New wind projects represented 42% of America's wind energy creation in 2008. They added 8.4 gigawatts to the grid, bringing our total wind energy production to 25 gigawatts. Germany's wind

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-32819230784675222222009-02-04T21:08:00.003Z2009-02-13T18:56:27.124Z

The December holidays were not very long ago. You're probably still paying off your credit card debts from all the gifts you bought. Thinking of buying more presents for your significant other this Valentines Day is probably not very appealing. So why not avoid all that needless shopping and do something thoughtful for your partner this year?By avoiding more consumerism and emphasizing more

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A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released yesterday provided good news to both President Obama and environmentalists. Of those polled, 71% approve of Obama's presidential transition efforts. More importantly to environmentalists, 89% of those polled said they supported the idea of creating jobs by expanding renewable energy development and making buildings more energy efficient.According to

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The upcoming inauguration will be the first held in the age of green living. Accordingly, steps have been taken to ensure that the environmental footprint of celebrations are kept to a minimum.In addition to official inaugural events, several companies and organizations are hosting their own parties and balls where steps have been taken to make things eco-friendly.Below is a list of eco-actions

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Members of the European Union have finalized provisions of a minimum energy performance standard for televisions. On average, plasma televisions burn 50% more energy than their LCD counterparts. Because of their appetite for energy, the larger size plasma TV's will probably be banned under the new EU television standard.In addition to banning large plasma TV's, the new EU rules will also

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All apologies for an extended vacation from posting. We are back now and ready to help you integrate that green piece into your 2009 life.This is going to be a big year for the environment. Green living has saturated our society and become a part of daily life for many. Changes in leadership among our policy makers will certainly have a big impact on the spread of new energy technologies and

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The Green Piece Blog is going dark for the next two weeks for the holidays. We will be back in the new year with lots of new tips and advice on how to fulfill your New Years Resolution of becoming an even greener person.addthis_url=data:post.url; addthis_title=data:post.title; addthis_pub='greenpieceblog';Have a Happy Holiday and be safe!

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About now, you are thinking about your holiday budget, your travel plans, your shopping list, or your holiday meal. These are all pieces of your December puzzle. Of course there is one more piece, the green piece. You can't forget that one!This holiday season its really easy to incorporate some eco-thinking into your routine. Newsweek has some great tips on doing just that, most of them we've

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-6895392791776275882008-12-16T14:35:00.000Z2008-12-16T14:35:00.964Z

Its that time again, time to make the decision whether to pull out your old boxed fake tree and start attaching those color coded wire branches, or drive down to the farmer's market and tie a real tree to the roof of your car.Maybe you never though much about it, but there are some pretty significant differences between fake and real trees when it comes to their impact on the health of your

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Zoo Lights is a festive annual tradition held at the National Zoo for the holidays. The entire zoo is decorated with colorful lights in animals shapes. Part of the fun is being in the Zoo at night when it is usually closed.The Zoo Lights event will be open for a few more weeks during the holidays with special performances and surprises every night. One particularly interesting program is "Fashion

About us -http://www.blogger.com/profile/07834252097207444932noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7719244010907574045.post-54600508878859269592008-12-15T17:30:00.001Z2008-12-15T17:31:58.717Z

You might have some greenies on your shopping list this year. They can be kind of hard to shop for.If you've already helped them become carbon neutral with a TerraPass, you've bought them fluorescent light bulbs and cloth shopping bags, and you've ordered them a great green book, what more can you do to satisfy their organic desires?How about a kit that will save them $460 in energy bills and

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President-Elect Barack Obama has been moving swiftly to fill his cabinet so the transition into a new administration will be as smooth as possible, given the challenges currently facing the U.S. There has been rampant speculation about who Obama will appoint to each office and so far most rumors have proven accurate.Today, NBC News is reporting the names of three possible appointees for Obama's

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Eco-Criminals beware...the Environmental Protection Agency has created a most-wanted list for you. A new EPA website will feature pictures and bios of fugitive environmental lawbreakers.The new list was posted online today, already featuring 23 offenders committing crimes that include smuggling of o-zone depleting substances, discharging pollutants into the air & water, laundering money and

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Just yesterday I published a post about the importance of buying recycled products like recycled paper, plastics, etc. I pointed out that the more recycled products you purchase the greater the demand for recyclable waste. Serendipitously, the New York Times published an article today that noted a significant dip in demand for recycable waste. That reduction in demand means lower prices paid for

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Everyone knows by now that the American car manufacturers are desperately seeking billions of dollars in federal funds to protect them from bankruptcy. Chrysler and GM have said they may not make it until the end of the year if something isn't done to save them now.Initially, the CEO's of the auto industry came to Washington in separate private jets and with a swagger. Apparently they thought

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Last week we attended a recycling event in Washington, DC. The presenter at the event put forth an obivous, yet overlooked idea on recycled products.You see, your community sells the recycled material you put in the bin to suppliers who then make the material into new products. The more you buy products made of recycled material, the more demand there is for your bottles, cans, paper, etc. The

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From the Wall Street Journal:Industry reps say such research is inconclusive. "We don't have any hard data, but as far as cancer in our industry, there is no higher rate," says Alan Spielvogel, director of technical services for the cleaners association. "And we try to have our [cleaners] handle the solvents in an environmentally friendly manner." Nevertheless, the Environmental Protection Agency

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