Fuel from weeds?

Why not combine two of our biggest environmental issues and come up with a winning recipe? Kudzu and other non-native invasive plants represent a huge threat. Millions of acres of land are covered in these aggressive, fast growing species.

Instead of turning corn (an important source of nutrients for people and cattle) into fuel, lets use invasive plants! A fellow in Tennessee is producing something he calls Kudzunol by fermenting Kudzu-and he's sold every drop he can make thus far.

Check out the MSNBC video:Finding new fuel sources ‘in the weeds’

California's 220 MPH High-Speed Train Will Be Emissions-Free

As if the announcement of a high-speed rail line that will go from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2 hours and 40 minutes isn’t exciting enough, Navigant Consulting now claims that the bullet train can run with zero greenhouse gas emissions.

neoNaturalist.com is all about connecting people to nature. We think that smart transportation choices show respect for nature and thus do draw us closer. But, what are the cascading effects that we will then have to deal with?

Check out this story about a new high speed rail project in California that claims to be emission free and comment on whether or not you think high speed, zero emissions trains are good or bad for the environment and Nature. What about the potential to stimulate more intense or extensive urban sprawl?

read more | digg story

Urban WindCubes!

Green Energy Technologies. Wind Energy for Your World.: "the future of wind energy- The WindCube 55kW rated wind turbine is designed for high power users in the urban environment."

Us neoNaturalists are all for thinking outside the box, but here is a case where thinking inside the box may be a better solution for all of us. These new wind generators are enclosed in a box that turns into the wind, always keeping the best angle for power generation. The boxes can be screened to prevent bird injury as well. The WindCubes are stackable and might just be the next breakthrough in wind energy- check it out!