Jets and airliners have recently become the next big focus for environmentally minded individuals. Because of this it is not surprising to see that dozens of companies and research teams are working to either improve current technologies or create completely new technologies that are a substantial amount more efficient with fewer pollutants. Fortunately that is exactly what a research team from Virgin Atlantic has managed to do; the report released by the research team indicates that the newly developed fuel will function just as well as traditional jet fuel while producing about half of the emissions.

The technology used in the fuel is cutting edge and thanks to the way it is produced and burnt it only produces about half of the carbon emissions that traditional fuels make. This is great news as it means there will be a significant decrease in pollution from airliners which are currently one of the worst polluting forms of transportation. No word yet on exactly when this fuel will be widely available or when it will enter official testing for practical use but many analysts agree that it is in fact a possibility down the road.

An advancement in jet fuel has been a dream for many researchers and it seems the future may have finally be found; within the next few years the Virgin Atlantic team hopes to be able to use the newer more efficient and cleaner fuel in all airliners around the world to reduce emissions.

Data Centers Using Less Data Than Previously Thought

For quite some time now various government agencies have believed that computer data centers and server farms were using tons of power around the country. This week however the EPA released their study on the subject and it was shown that data centers are actually using much less power than previously expected.

Data centers have become a necessary piece of equipment for nearly all companies since everything has gone digital and at the same time the power consumed by them has also sky rocketed. For quite some time the EPA assumed that data centers were a major waste of power in many cases but it turns out overall that was incorrect.

What this means for everyone else is that much less power is being wasted by data centers and as such much less pollution is being caused by the data centers themselves. Power plants are obviously still polluting but the data centers of companies are not a root cause of the problem.

Overall the EPA is happy to release this report because it shows that private sectors of the market are in fact doing what they can to reduce or limit power waste. Obviously cost is the biggest reason many companies and data centers are reducing waste but the environmental factors following closely in the wake of reduced costs which should eventually lead to a positive outcome when it comes to environmental impacts. No word on what other industries the EPA is planning to study like this.

This week the survival status of polar bears was brought to federal courts in order to decide what type of protections should be granted to the species. Previously polar bears were considered threatened which meant that some significant protections were being provided and the federal judge overseeing the hearing decided this week that the protection should continue and as a result extended the threatened status.

According to the judge the primary reason for polar bears being listed as threatened is the quickly disappearing ecosystems which the polar bears live in. Because of the speed at which the ice is melting in many areas polar bears are struggling to adapt or survive and are being granted some special protections by the government in order to help them survive in some way.

The exact details of what protections are offered are somewhat difficult to understand though the basis is that environmental damage is restricted in areas with polar bear populations. Some polar bear activists hoped that they would be upgraded to endangered in order to create even stricter environmental rules in the area but for now they are happy to see that the threatened status has been retained. The current policy for polar bear protection does explicitly state that certain power plants and other planned improvements cannot be stopped but otherwise environmental activists are hopeful that the polar bear’s current state of protection will eventually help to prevent further damage to various areas in which they often reside.

Ford Implementing In-Car Health System

This week Ford Motor Company announced some upcoming projects that they are working on which will essentially give Ford vehicles the ability actively monitor and track the driver’s health. At this time the program is only in the initial development stages but the idea of real time health monitoring in a car is a very promising idea according to many medical experts.

To begin with Ford is planning to implement two basic features; a diabetes monitoring system as well as an asthma monitoring system. Using Ford’s already popular Sync system the health system Ford is designing will be able to continuously keep track of your health and in turn give you updates and suggestions; the reports could also be printed in order to give them to a doctor for further analysis.

At this time Ford hasn’t really released any details on how the health monitoring program will work; though they say it will most likely be using already available health monitors that are simply added to the vehicle.

Overall analysts think this could be a step in the right direction when it comes to active health monitoring though it depends entirely on how the systems are implemented. The hope is that Ford will create an efficient air quality monitoring system which will also report pollen and other allergens to the driver. At this time it is unknown when the health systems may be available in Ford vehicles though Ford is expected to keep the public updated as the program moves forward.

Chicago Starts Green Taxi Project

Just last week Chicago Mayor Richard Daley officially announced Chicago’s revolutionary new “green taxi” project. As the name implies the project is aimed at making taxis more environmentally friendly and it seems Chicago is already heading in the right direction with what they’re planning.

The basis of the project currently is that taxi drivers or taxi companies will be given tax credits and other special deals or rewards for participating. In order to participate taxi companies must operate a certain percentage of their taxis with either a hybrid electric system or other alternative fuels that are better for the environment.

Obviously Chicago hopes that this will lead to an increase in the number of hybrid taxis on the streets in the crowded city. No word yet on exact details have been announced regarding which cab companies are already on board with the project but city analysts say many of the largest taxi cab companies will likely get involved in the near future.

Chicago is not the first city to encourage taxi companies to become greener but few have offered the level of support Chicago is offering. Chicago will reportedly be giving cab companies over $2000 to purchase a hybrid vehicle rather than gas vehicle. The city will also be giving as much as $14,000 to companies which convert existing cabs to a greener fuel like natural gas or propane. In the next year or two analysts say there will likely be a significant increase in greener taxis thanks to this project.

Each year on April 22^nd Earth Day is celebrated by millions of people and this year Google decided to participate as well. The overall purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness about green living and conservation so it is not surprising that Earth Day has become more popular recently.

Frequently Google has been known to change logos for special occasions and holidays and that is exactly what Google has done today. As always the Google logo still says “Google” but today there is a hidden message; Earth Day Awareness. As usual the new logo is interactive so users can have some fun and learn about Earth Day and green living in the process.

Earth Day has been getting more and more popular in the past few years and ever since the original Earth Day in 1970 many countries outside the U.S. have joined the cause. This year Google got involved in Earth Day through the awareness as well as a few other small projects but analysts say that in the next few years we will likely see even more major companies getting involved as well.

As always Earth Day is a great reminder for everyone that there are things we can do to keep the Earth clean. Although Earth Day only comes around once a year the goal, according to sponsor organizations, is to prove to people that saving the environment year round is not a difficult thing to accomplish when everyone works together to do their part.

A professor and student research group in Maine announced this week that they have successfully created a more environmentally friendly alternative to current golf balls. The research team says they were working to create these golf balls because of the fact that so many are left in rivers and lakes around the world and because the chemicals are likely harmful when left in water.

The newer, friendlier golf balls are made out of a much more natural material; lobster shell pieces. After lobster is processed and canned the shell and other pieces are generally thrown away because they have no other use. Fortunately this new application is not only good for the environment but it is also a good use of the left over pieces of lobster which were previously just trashed.

The professor in charge of the research team said in a statement that originally they were not expecting to solve two problems like this but now that they have found this use for lobster shell leftovers it might make a big difference. In most cases the leftover pieces of lobster shell simply end up in a landfill so obviously putting them into a golf ball will be slightly better for the environment as a whole

Another major focus of these environmentally friendly golf balls was to create a lower cost alternative. Currently environmentally friendly golf balls cost substantially more than their more traditional counterparts and as a result they never became very popular; the new lobster shell golf balls should be able to be produced for approximately the same price as a regular golf ball so the selling price should also be around the same according to the research team.

Just over four years ago two close friends, Madison and Rhiannon, discovered that the Girl Scout cookies they were selling had some negative effects on the environment that nobody else had addressed. The girls found that a large percentage of the palm oil found in Girl Scout cookies came from areas which were turned into palm farms by destroying large sections of natural rainforests.

The girls began a large campaign to try to save the rainforest and the orangutans that call the forests home. Obviously in the process the girls asked Girl Scouts of America for some help and it seems that their four year old endeavor is finally seeing some real progress.

The group responsible for baking the iconic Girl Scout cookies officially announced this month that they will only be purchasing the necessary palm oils from growers that do not and have not contributed to the massive deforestation in Asia.

The program these farmers are part of is called the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil which is determined to reduce the deforestation in Asia by using only natural palm growing facilities. According to many sources this organization is expected to have a major impact on the ecosystems of this region and as a result will make a big impact worldwide. Of course the girls that started the initiative with Girl Scouts are not responsible for the organization though they are responsible for convincing one of the largest supports to join the project to help spread the word.