ENN Twitter
editorial_affiliates
Our Editorial and News Affiliates
Matter Network
Website: http://www.matternetwork.com/
Contact:
Chicago-Based Eco-Friendly Dentist Doubles Down on Green
February 3, 2012 04:48 PM - Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, Matter Network
Almost exactly five years ago, I took at look at Transcendentist, a Berkeley based green dentistry office that combined environmental responsibility with a very different approach to patient care. Rather than the typical clinical approach, the founders of Transcendentist created a spa-like atmosphere complete with foot massages. Even then, the idea was taking off: nothing like a little calm to take the edge off of that fear of the dentist thing.
Kick-Starting the Bio-Based Economy
January 31, 2012 02:31 PM - Mackinnon Lawrence, Matter Network
Massive, varied, and intricately woven into the fabric of modern industrial society, the global chemical industry was valued at over $4 trillion in 2011, according to Pike Research’s Green Chemistry report. The non-pharmaceutical chemicals industry in the United States is valued at around $700 billion per year. The rise of bio-chemicals promises to transform that industry. Bio-based chemicals and plastics — often referred to as bio-based products — are commercial or industrial products (other than food or feed) that are derived from biological products or biomass. They serve as direct replacements for the building blocks used in petrochemical production.
One Quarter of World's Agricultural Land "Highly Degraded", UN Report Concludes
December 8, 2011 03:18 PM - Michael Ricciardi, Matter Network
On Monday, the UN released the results of the first ever global study on the state of Earth’s land. The main finding: 25 percent of all land is highly degraded making it unsuitable for agriculture. The implications of this finding are enormous; the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that farm output must increase by 70 percent by 2050 to accommodate the food needs of an estimated 9 billion humans.
How Texas Wind Power Inspires Performance Art
November 16, 2011 10:54 AM - Lauren Craig, Matter Network
The stories of Texas’ wind farms are commonly told in terms of acres and megawatts. Artists Laura Zak and Kim Cypert, however, want to dig deeper into the cultural and social impacts of the state’s booming wind industry. Zak and Cypert are working on a performance art show incorporating insights from the digital wind energy oral history collection at Texas Tech University’s Special Collection Library, in Lubbock. The collection, which includes interviews with farmers, landowners, wind developers, municipal leaders and environmentalists, documents the experiences of those affected by wind energy development in Texas.
Solar Design From MIT Does Double Duty
November 11, 2011 10:24 AM - Pete Danko, Matter Network
MIT researchers say a hybrid solar-thermoelectric system they’re working on would provide a big advantage over conventional solar cells or solar thermal systems, particularly for household use: the ability to produce heat and electricity simultaneously. They propose accomplishing this mean feat through a clever reconfiguration of the standard parabolic trough.
In Europe, Aviation Biofuels Reach the Runway
October 25, 2011 03:27 PM - Mackinnon Lawrence, Matter Network
Ahead of the latest round of climate change talks to be held in Durban, South Africa later this year, most countries, with the exception of European Union member states, Australia, and few others, have failed to advance national initiatives to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Despite broad-based agreement on the need for a post-Kyoto international agreement on climate change, a constellation of forces, including the so-called Climategate affair of 2009 and persistent economic uncertainty, have led to a shattering of international consensus. Earlier this year, both EU and United States negotiators said that a new legally binding deal emerging this year in Durban is not realistically possible.
Solar Bonsai Tree Lets You Charge In Style
October 24, 2011 05:27 PM - Kristy Hessman, Matter Network
If you don’t have a green thumb, but love your electronics, the Electree could just be the perfect house plant. The Solar Bonsai Electree was created by French designer Vivien Muller and recently appeared on the Red Ferret tech blog. The bonsai-inspired tree has 27 solar panels at the tips of its branches that capture the sun’s rays and uses them to charge your electronics.
A Green Super Yacht on Steroids?
October 21, 2011 01:07 PM - Pete Danko, Matter Network
There was the Super Nova 60, the world’s first carbon neutral megayacht. Then there was the 72-foot Emax Excalibur, which represented the first step in the maritime industry towards the production of post-carbon yachts. But forget about those — the folks at Sauter Carbon Offset Design and their building partners Ned Ship Group say the latest in their series of green yacht concepts is "the fastest and greenest superyacht in the world."
Prius Plug-in Versus Volt: Which Costs Less to Drive?
October 18, 2011 03:51 PM - John Gartner, Matter Network
Now that Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid has been officially announced, we can begin the comparisons with the other plug-in electric vehicle with an extended driving range, the Chevrolet Volt. The underlying question is which is more important to consumers: electric driving range, or total vehicle fuel efficiency?
10 Ways to Recycle Vinyl Records Creatively
October 7, 2011 01:54 PM - Sonia Tracy, Matter Network
There is something about a vinyl record that presents a classic and timeless feel. Perhaps it is the nostalgia associated with it or even the crispness of the sound when it’s played. Whatever the case, the record will forever be a symbol of the golden ages of music. But times have changes now, and the convenience of modern formats has trumped this feel — not to mention that not every record you might have lying around is a classic. Everyone has found themselves with more than one embarrassing addition in their collection that they will never listen to and just allow it to sit around, collecting dust.