Green tech finds (12/2/10)
Google Earth’s new “tree view,” state-by-state run-downs on solar power, and LED holiday lights… your green tech finds for the week.
- Energy Star Plus: Paul Smith at Triplepundit profiles Energy Forward, a Northwest-based electronics efficiency standard that claims to exceed Energy Star standards by 30%.
- Missouri a great state for solar? That’s right… as are Arkansas, Mississippi, and Wisconsin. A new study out of Arizona State University ranks the optimal state for solar development based on environmental and economic factors.
- Solar laggards: On the flip side, Heather Clancy points out the ten states at the back of the pack in terms of solar photovoltaic installations (which she gathered from NREL’s Open PV Project).
- Donate your used jeans to Ford? The auto giant is using post consumer cotton from jeans for a few interior elements of 2012 Focus.
- Energy efficient decorating: Do you put enough holiday lights on the house to make it visible to satellites? The Department of Energy’s Energy Savers blog puts in a plug for LED holiday lights.
- Big savings from efficient lighting: UNEP’s en.lighten initiative reported in Cancun on the potential savings in money and carbon emissions that efficient lighting could produce: up to $9 billion and 45 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the US alone.
- 3D Trees in Google Earth: The new version of Google Earth allows for a “below the canopy” view of “80 million trees in seven cities worldwide.” Check it out above… (via Yale 360)
- Biofuel-powered flights coming: Lufthansa plans to start scheduling flights on biofuel-powered aircraft in 2011.
Got something else? Let us know what we missed in the comments…
MORE FROM SUSTAINABLOG:
- Looking back to the Depression for low-impact gift ideas.
- Keep the gadgets running… check out our selection of solar batteries.
