Creative Loafing Tampa

Oil vs. natural gas for home heating

Natural gas is both cheaper and has lower carbon emissions than oil, though it is still a fossil fuel and its green-friendliness is overstated.

• by Katie Machol
Natural gas is both cheaper and has lower carbon emissions than oil, though it is still a fossil fuel and its green-friendliness is overstated.
• Tags: Green Living, Green Policy, gas, heat, natural gas, oil, carbon emissions, fracking, renewable heating sources

What the frack is going on? Fracking 101 (video)

• by Katie Machol
After watching this catchy music video you may ask, "Who the frack approves this dangerous form of natural gas drilling?!"
• Tags: Green Living, Green Policy, fracking, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, toxic, flammable, video, earthquakes, ozone, greenhouse gas

EarthTalk: Can Japan do without nuclear energy?

• by Katie Machol
Japan would be hard pressed to close all of its 54 nuclear reactors anytime soon, especially given that these plants provide over a third of the nation’s electricity supply and 11 percent of its total energy needs.
• Tags: Green Community, oil, japan, Green Community, wind power, energy, solar power, natural gas, alternative energy, coal, nuclear power, Department of Energy, japan earthquake tsunami, hydropower, East-West Institute, Fukushima accidents

EarthTalk: Are natural gas's eco-benefits overstated?

• by Katie Machol
A 2007 life-cycle analysis of natural gas production, distribution and consumption found that when one factors in the total emissions associated with not only the end use of natural gas but also its extraction and distribution, it doesn't seem so much cleaner than coal after all.
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, Environment, Green Living, Green Community, natural gas, carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, methane, gas plant, gas-fired power plant

Biofuel from beer? Turning brewing waste into natural gas

• by Katie Machol
Eric Fitch, CEO of PurposeEnergy Inc., has created an anaerobic methane digester that "recycles" the used hops, barley and yeast that is used to make beer by harnessing the methane gas they emit to help process wastewater. It is used by Magic Hat Brewing Co. in Vermont.
• Tags: Drink, Food News, Green Living, Drink, beer, Food News, Green Living, natural gas, biofuel, fuel, magic hat brewing, PurposeEnergy Inc., burlington, vermont, eric fitch, brewing waste, brewing byproducts, organic waste

EarthTalk: Does oil drilling cause sinkholes or earthquakes?

• by Katie Machol
What, if anything, fills the empty space underground created by the extraction of billions of gallons of oil? Could oil drilling be one of the causes of increasing amounts of land settling and sinkholes in oil rich areas?
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, oil, Green Living, Green Community, gas, natural gas, crude oil, petroleum, usgs, U.S. Geological Survey

The Green Community week in review: Greenwashed bamboo textile claims, best green trend in the Bay, and more

• by Katie Machol
Read what you might've missed last week in the Green Community!
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, protest, Creative-Loafing, dunedin-brewery, Tampa-Bay, food, David Warner, Environment, sustainable architecture, sustainable design, water, mcdonalds, agriculture, corn, independent film, animal cruelty, PETA, green, independent filmmakers, ronald mcdonald, Green Living, industrial agriculture, Nature, Cigar City Brewing, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, cl green, energy star, tampa bay area, Linda Taylor, USGBC Gulf Coast Chapter, water conservation, USGBC, gas, mother earth, cl green community, genetically modified food, natural gas, solar hot water, office assistance plus, rain barrel, waste, carbon dioxide, st petersburg college, dunedin house of beer, emissions, water restrictions, outdoors, LEED certification, spc, St. Pete College, sustainability management, food Inc., jason green, animal rights activist, USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, energy waste, Best of the Bay 2009, BOTB, peta protestors, LEED, growler, brown glass, beer bottles, beer jug, eco friendly beer, sustainable beer, mother nature, activities, outside, midlothian, leed exam training, leed ap, leed ap exam training, leed ap om eb, operations and maintenance, existing building, Corporate training, corporate e-training, susan reiter, leed training, leed ap training, leed ap om eb training, josh bomstein, fgcc florida gulf coast chapter, environmental science technology, associates in science, as, bachelor of applied science, bas, spc sustainability coordinator, utilities, hot water waste, water waste, cold showers, dirty dishes, low flow showerheads, low flow water heads, aerated showerheads, clothes washing, dirty clothes, washing machines, co2, dishwasher, energystar, solar source, solar rebates, water heater, instant hot, instahot, water heater temperature, water heater timers, water leaks, carbon, limestone, magnesium, calcium, cement, concrete, fossil fuel emossions, global CO2 emissions, mining, silicates, seawater, byproducts, king corn, crops, Federal Trade Commission, Bamboo Clothing, Rayon, green office makeover, clutter sorting, office organizing, environmentally friendly, green trend, Uncategorized

Cement companies designing greener processes

• by Jessica McCormick
One of the largest producers of excess carbon dioxide -- the cement industry -- might get a green facelift in the next few years. Some new cement companies are looking to change the process significantly and either lower or counter their CO2 production.
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, water, green, Green Living, Green Community, gas, natural gas, waste, carbon dioxide, emissions, co2, carbon, limestone, magnesium, calcium, cement, concrete, fossil fuel emossions, global CO2 emissions, mining, silicates, seawater, byproducts, Uncategorized

The Green Community week in review: CL office gets green makeover, Living sustainably in Tampa Bay, best organic smoothie, and more

• by Katie Machol
Read what you might've missed last week in the Green Community!
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, bicycle, St. Petersburg, oil, Best of the Bay, Clearwater, recycling, Tampa-Bay, Local Music, Bike, PSTA, Gulfport, Environment, sustainable architecture, sustainable design, Feel the Heat: Climate Change, water, gift, recycle, eco, green, organic, August, cuisine, sustainable, Katie Machol, sustainability, ocean, Green Living, Yankees, Green living, drought, conservation, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, Going Green, energy star, creative loafing green community, reuse, landfill, tampa bay area, Linda Taylor, water conservation, eco friendly, wallet, litter, trash, USGBC, prius, Lisa Assetta, green office, cl green community, trees, rubber, Green building, natural gas, fuel economy, carpool, florida native plants, plastic, greenpeace, office assistance plus, waste, st petersburg college, fossil fuels, fossil fuel emissions, alternative energy, foreign oil, green architecture, curiosity, toilet paper roll, air pollution, fossil fuel, green office specialist, reduce, speakers, beach, LEED certification, foreign fossil fuels, united states green building council, repurpose, greywater, jason green, environmental activicism, hybrid vehicle, crude oil, petroleum, wildlife, rollin oats, spirulina, bee pollen, St Petersburg/Gibbs, W. G. Mills, Flad, USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, Energy Coordinator, Diana Wright, acquifer, energy waste, green cleaning products, heat island effect, low voc, charm callahan, FSC, regional materials, recycled building materials, Best of the Bay of the Day, Rollin' Oats Market & Cafe, Creative Loafing Green, gas mileage, gas mileage tips, gasoline, inefficient automobiles, inefficient cars, cash for clunkers, oil spills, air filter, speeding and effeciency, mpg, miles per gallon, hart line, toyota prius, honda insight, new cars, mazda tribute, ford escape, mercury mariner, office for sustainability, walking, REAL building, LEED, darren brinkley, solar water heater, geothermal technology, voc, toilet tissue, creative loafing contributor, creative loafing office, save money, save time, save the environment, green office philosophy, 4 Rs, mens, unisex, treehugger, planet green, blue august, cleanup, marine life, cousteau, florida blood services, book swaps, green fun, fun festival, battery recycling, momentum, consciousness, calendars, clothes, water rates, Florida Friendly lawn, Scott Milinder, pinellas county utilities, Uncategorized

St. Petersburg College’s new Natural Science, Mathematics and College of Education building is certified LEED® Gold

• by Jason Green
St. Petersburg College recently announced that for the second time in as many months, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has awarded LEED Gold certification for one of its new campus buildings.
• Tags: Green Community, Green Policy, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, sustainable architecture, sustainable design, Feel the Heat: Climate Change, green, sustainability, Green living, Green Community, Green Policy, Going Green, landfill, water conservation, USGBC, cl green community, Green building, natural gas, plastic, st petersburg college, fossil fuels, alternative energy, air pollution, LEED certification, united states green building council, jason green, petroleum, St Petersburg/Gibbs, W. G. Mills, Flad, USGBC Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, Energy Coordinator, Diana Wright, acquifer, energy waste, green cleaning products, heat island effect, low voc, charm callahan, FSC, regional materials, recycled building materials, Uncategorized

The Green Community week in review: Tampa green biz program, cypress mulch protest, harmful water bottles and more

• by Katie Machol
Read what you might've missed last week in Green: Tampa's Green Business Designation Program, the Earth Charter, local protest over cypress mulch, Pecha Kucha, why plastic bottles are harmul and more.
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, Florida wildlife, protest, amazon, wal-mart, art, Environment, Florida, EPA, war, author, Dustin Hoffman, Monsanto, events, genre, green, carbon footprint, sustainability, expansion, International, Green Living, Peace, Nature, Green living, clothing, Green Community, Green Policy, Green Jobs, Earth Day, Going Green, cl green, green businesses, creative loafing green community, reuse, water bottles, landfill, energy, eco friendly, recycled, home depot, city of tampa, flu, swine flu, Activism, gas, bad water bottles, cl green community, Mayor Pam Iorio, June, environmentalism, National Do Not Mail List, Pecha Kucha, architecture, ethics, natural gas, Pressure, plastic, greenpeace, st petersburg college, Alternative, fossil fuels, MS, eric stewart, mulch, living green, sustany foundation, repurposed, film festival, greenhouse, the earth charter, war is over, products, save the earth, severn suzuki, universal code of conduct, immune boosters, homeopathic remedies, herbal immune boosters, happenings, presentations, green ideas, natural resources, mai, yellow pages, phonebooks, stop mail, stop catalogs, jason green, eco tips, green tips, how to live green, sustainaiblity, don vincente de ybor, cypress, illegal deforestation, destructive practices, welcome news, private lending, public prosecution, grocery store chains, international finance corporation, cattle industry, campaigner, necessary steps, dollar loan, state prosecutor, sneaker giant, deforested areas, dollar lawsuit, bertin, Timberland, Slaughtering, slaughterhouse, moratorium, Marfrig, warming, Adidas, announcement, Reebok, grand prize winner, aspiring filmmaker, runner ups, festival organizers, film submission, submission fees, paper submissions, electric scooter, film festivals, electric bike, alternative transportation, festival dates, hybrid vehicle, alternative materials, film production, public transportation, third world, the graduate, crude oil, petroleum, stainless steel water bottles, environmental activism, gulf restoration network, save our cypress, zora neale hurston, their eyes were watching god, eatonville, suwanee river, alice walker, the color purple, wildlife, rio accessories, earth summit, Uncategorized

The environmental impacts of bottled water

• by Jason Green
Plastic bottles are manufactured from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas. Annually, Americans dispose of 29-billion water bottles, requiring 1.5-million barrels of crude oil (enough oil to keep 100,000 cars running for one year), resulting in the release of 2.5-million tons of carbon dioxide. In addition, scientists have found that over time, plastic bottles can leach chemicals linked to birth defects, miscarriage and prostate cancer into the water.
• Tags: Green Living, Green Community, Dustin Hoffman, green, Green Living, Green living, Green Community, Going Green, water bottles, landfill, bad water bottles, cl green community, natural gas, plastic, st petersburg college, fossil fuels, jason green, the graduate, crude oil, petroleum, stainless steel water bottles, Uncategorized

Poop to power: Sanford's new renewable energy facility opens today (5/21)

• by Katie Machol
The new renewable energy facility that turns wastewater sludge into gas, opens today (5/21) in Sanford, FL.
• Tags: News, Green Living, Green Community, News, green, ocala, Green Living, Green Community, renewable energy, gasificaton system, sanford, maxwest environmental systems, thermal energy, wastewater, natural gas, marion county, renewable electric power, horse manure, Uncategorized