There is a relatively new and environmentally friendly technique for finishing metal, fiber glass and other materials.  Instead of using liquid paints which result in a lot of wasted material, this new finish is applied as a dry powder.  In liquid paint, the waste is about 40%.  with powder finishes, the waste is between 2% and 8%.  Not only that, but with liquid finishes the waste is a biohazard, with powder finishes, the waste is not harmful to the environment.  This technique has a wide variety of applications , although so far it is not being used in the automotive industry on a large scale.

A recent study in Europe yielded some surprising results.  Most of us believe that it is more environmentally friendly to read our newspaper online.  The study showed that if you read the newspaper for thirty minutes online, there is virtually no difference on the impact to the environment.  The energy used to power your computer for thirty minutes has the same impact on the environment as the energy used to produce and distribute a newspaper.

One of the problems of solar power is that it is not available at night.  Solar salt technology is a new way to make solar energy available around the clock.  Solar farms would store energy in salt which would be used at night.  The heat stored in the salt would generate steam which would power turbines to create electricity when the sun wasn't shining.  The salt can hold up to seven hours of power.

The kitchen creates more waste than any other room in our homes. Food is packaged in plastic and styrofoam and drinks are bottled in plastic. When you buy your food , consider the way it is packaged. How large is your kitchen's carbon footprint?

Many builders today are creating more environmentally friendly housing.  They accomplish this in a variety of ways.  Whenever possible these contractors use sustainable building materials that do no emit off gases, like formaldehyde. The homes are insulated to prevent heat exchange and save energy.  All heating systems used are high efficiency and use either natural gas or electric power, rather than fuel oil which releases more green house gases.

A recent look at the major shipping companies in the United States ranked them by their carbon foot prints and environmental practices. Of the four largest companies, UPS was the least environmentally friendly, but they are instituting new green goals and promise to do better in the future.