CLEAN

Odessa, power company await word on $350M grant

Two years after missing out on an experimental coal-fired power plant, the city of Odessa hasn't given up on bringing a similar project to town and hopes to hear within days whether $350 million in federal stimulus funds will help make that happen.

Texas city, company await word on $350M funding

The mood around Odessa, Texas, was glum when the city missed out on a one-of-a-kind coal power plant to be built through a public-private venture.

Nothing to sniff at: Clean smells inspire virtue

We’ve all heard the adage about cleanliness being next to godliness, but a forthcoming study in the journal Psychological Science may have empirically proved it.

Spain eatery has plan to beat swine flu

A pocket of Spanish suburbia hardly seems the spot for a new swine flu battlefront, but an eatery in a shopping mall outside Madrid claims to be the world's first restaurant with a specific plan to protect against the disease.

US DOE gives nearly $300M for alt. fuel projects

The U.S. Department of Energy has chosen 25 cost-sharing alternative-fuel projects to receive a total of nearly $300 million from funds allotted by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Obama: US, China interested in clean energy

President Barack Obama says the U.S. and China have a shared interest in creating clean and secure energy sources.

Biden: $300M from stimulus will go for clean cars

Vice President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing that $300 million in federal stimulus money will go to cities and towns to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Her mother was a human pack rat

Everybody has seen stories about people who are human pack rats, unable to throw anything away and filling their houses with mountains of things that to them are treasures and to others are garbage and junk. But what do you do if the person living in that house is your own mother?

EPA urged to reverse Bush-era auto emission ruling

The head of California's air pollution agency urged federal regulators on Thursday to reverse a Bush-era decision that blocks the state from setting its own limits on greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles.

New Orleans finds money for French Quarter cleanup

After weeks of haggling, New Orleans officials say they've come up with money to maintain rigorous cleaning in the city's famed French Quarter.

New Orleans to scale back French Quarter cleanups

A multimillion-dollar budget hole is forcing New Orleans to scale back rigorous cleaning in the city's famed French Quarter.

City finds compromise to keep French Quarter clean

The New Orleans City Council has agreed on several amendments to the city's 2009 budget that will keep enhanced cleaning services in the French Quarter through October.

Turning air into drinking water

Remember those sweltering summer days when the air was so muggy you could practically drink it? A new home appliance is promising to make that possible by converting outdoor air into nearly 13 quarts of fresh water every day.

Mexico unveils Web site to reduce auto emissions

Mexico's government is giving car buyers a Web site where they can check on just how environmentally friendly their new vehicle might be.

10 parks identified as at risk from coal plants

The National Parks Conservation Association considers the following 10 national parks as most at risk from pollution from new coal-fired power plants either planned or under development near them:

Shower-Ready Suit to Go on Sale in Japan

No time to take your suit to a dry cleaner? Just turn on the shower to wash it at home.

LG.Philips to Make Clean Notebook Screen

Tired of irritating smudges, dust and fingerprints on laptop computer screens? LG.Philips LCD has come up with a dirt-resistant, easy-to-clean panel.

US, China Working on Biofuels Pact

The United States and China are working on a pact to promote use of ethanol and other biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and could announce an agreement as early as next month, an American official said Friday.

Cities Take the Lead on Climate Change

When this quiet city in southern Sweden decided in 1996 to wean itself off fossil fuels, most people doubted the ambitious goal would have any impact beyond the town limits.

Diesel's Dirty Image Is Changing

Diesel engines mainly power trucks, buses and construction equipment in the U.S., and they have long been scorned by environmentalists concerned about air pollution.

Will a clean fridge get you laid?
Source: Boing Boing

My friend Corey Mintz is so proud of his well-stocked, spotless refrigerator that he sends pictures of its interior to girls he's wooing and has used it in place of a headshot on his online dating profile

Obama says winner of clean-energy race will lead global economy -- latimes.com
Source: The L.A. Times

Reporting from Washington - Over the next three years, Americans will be required to replace nearly all their traditional light bulbs with cooler, more energy-efficient bulbs under a 2007 bill signed by President Bush.

Stimulus good for Washington ... part of it, anyway
Source: Seattle news, sports, events, entertainment | seattlepi.com - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Although left unsaid the stimulus spending is going on in the district whose US Representative has gone on FOX, after the money was allocated, and asked where's the money, where's the jobs.

California to adopt the Euro Scent!

I just got though listening to the governor of California tell the CNN TV viewers that he plans along with family to take fewer showers to help the state save 20%.

What is your "Dream Car?"

Most of the people on the Vine who've read my articles or comments would label me as a serious liberal. When it comes to the environment, I want what's best for our planet and I try to champion green policy whenever and wherever applicable.

Best joke I heard yesterday....(a semi-daily, semi-occasional series)

Squeaky Fromme is out of prison. What she did was a horrible, horrible crime. And she was in for an awfully long time. What will this new chapter in her life bring? Will she get a job, will she start dating?

Volt will Get 230 Miles Per Gallon in City Says GM
Source: The New York Times

General Motors Corp. said Tuesday its Chevrolet Volt rechargeable electric car should get 230 miles per gallon of gasoline in city driving, more than four times the mileage of the current champion, the Toyota Prius. More Articles

Greening MLB

I just got a notice on my Facebook page that there was an article published about how the sports world was looking to be more clean and green. Here is my response:

Article: Rail Electrification - We're all Keen but keep it Clean!

The announcement by Lord Adonis and Prime Minister Gordon Brown last week to electrify two main rail routes in Britain, the Great Western route from London to Bristol and Swansea, and the Stephenson's era line from Liverpool to Manchester; has been widely welcomed by passengers …

What have I become?

I don't know when it happened or how, but I have became my mother...Maybe even worse... Growing up I use to think my mom was crazy. Always cooking, cleaning and fussing about something... I remember getting upset and saying...I'll never do that when I have my own place...

Hospital patient so shocked at dirty ward she climbed out of bed to clean it herself
Source: the Mail online

After 12 years cleaning care homes and private houses, no one is better qualified than Tereza Tosbell to say whether a room is spotless. So hospital bosses should take heed of her opinion after she spent four days on a 'filthy' ward.

Obama to Announce New Mileage and Emission Standards
Source: The New York Times

President Obama will announce as early as Tuesday that he will combine California's tough new auto-emissions rules with the existing corporate average fuel economy standard to create a single new national standard, the officials said.

TTXGP - World's First Zero Carbon, Clean Emission Grand Prix
Source:

The planned race will showcase a diverse range of clean emission bikes capable of reaching Grand Prix speeds with teams, likely to be backed by international corporations, universities and high tech institutions, all eager to prove their credentials in the brave new world of c …

U.S. Drops Funding for Research Into Vehicle Fuel Cells
Source: The New York Times

Cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells, once hailed by President George W.

Metrics - The Hot Spots for Organic Food
Source: The New York Times

Becuz....you just can't talk enough about putting healthy food on your table.

The motorway services that charge four times more than supermarkets
Source: the Mail online

Motorway service stations are selling some items for more than quadruple the price that supermarkets are charging. A bottle of water can cost as much as four times and diesel is being sold for as much as 13p a litre more, a report revealed.

Thousands rally for water supply solutions
Source:

Chanting "We need water. We need water," about 8,000 people gathered last Friday on the shores of the San Luis Reservoir, the nation's largest off-stream water storage facility, to demand immediate solutions to the state's ongoing water disaster.

Saving the earth, one bottlecap at a time
Source: eastbayri.com

Residents turn out to help clean up local beach on Earth Day.

California Utility to Capture Solar Power in Space
Source: FOXNews.com

Solar power beamed down from space will generate electricity for California homes as soon as 2016, under a new plan by a utility company to ramp up renewable energy technology far beyond solar panels on roofs. More Articles

Energy versus Water: Solving Both Crises Together
Source: Sciam

We talk all day about "green" energy. But, what does green energy require to produce? We need to start thinking about water resources as a commodity to incorporate when discussing energy options.

Renewable energy tax proposed
Source:

Insisting that power customers benefit from Nevada's nascent renewable energy industry, Assembly Democrats want to tax solar, wind and other clean energy produced in the state.

China Vies to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles
Source: The New York Times

Chinese leaders have adopted a plan aimed at turning the country into one of the leading producers of hybrid and all-electric vehicles within three years, and making it the world leader in electric cars and buses after that. More Articles

Ask "My Mother's Garden" filmmaker, Cynthia Lester, your questions.

MSNBC Films presents "My Mother's Garden," the story of 61-year-old Eugenia Lester, whose hoarding disorder pushed her children to leave home when they were quite young. Cynthia Lester was 13 when she left, unable to find a place to sleep in the house amidst all of the garbage.

DOE on Fossil Energy and Clean Coal

Much in the debate on energy, thousands of different opinions and viewpoints have been thrown around. Topics often include Global Warming, Energy Sources, Emissions, Economy, and even National Security.