Daily Green Wrap-Up 19.July, 2012

I’ve often wondered how much energy New York’s myriad of buildings could save by doing simple things like replacing light bulbs. One commercial realtor has quantified what would happen if LED lighting was retrofitted into its properties, and the payback that it expects to receive is substantial.
For Rwanda’s population of Mountain gorillas, poaching remains one of the biggest threats to their long-term survival. But after decades of being a prime target for unlawful hunters, these critically endangered gorillas have apparently learned to outsmart them — and even the youngsters are getting in on the act.
Households expenses seem to never stop rising. Even a few dollars saved can add up and giving families some breathing room when the unexpected happens. The folks at One Block of the Grid, a solar power referral service, have made a handy infographic with tips on how to cut your electricity bill.
Ideabox is running what it’s calling “Ideabox Summer in the City” with an Aktiv on display at Cascade Station in Portland (down the road from IKEA Portland). It’ll be on display through the first week in August with solar from Sunmodo and Solar World, a ductless heat pump from Fujitsu and The Heat Pump Store, and furnishings from IKEA. Aktiv is priced from $87,000 with one bedroom, one bathroom, and 745 square feet.
For non-commodity farms — a category that includes many diverse, organic, and locally supported operations — the story is about much more than maize. A month into summer, the drought has walloped small Midwestern farmers, the very same farmers already struggling to survive a weak economy, a market dominated by rapacious agribusinesses, and, oh yeah, climate change.

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