The Green Wrap-up 21.February, 2013

Remember the story last fall about workers at battery maker LG Chem’s Holland, MI-based plant who were sitting idle? Well, the feds have investigated and the news isn’t good. The US Department of Energy released an audit earlier this month  that revealed that not a single production lithium-ion battery has been built at the plant and employees have been finding other things to spend their time doing while being paid taxpayer money.
Stumped when it comes to doing anything more for your bike than putting air in the tires? If you’re looking to learn a bit more about cycle repair, check out MadeGood.org, a small non-profit organization providing free information on how to fix bicycles.
The Urban Harvest Series (UHS) is a set artifacts and furniture that integrate nature’s closed cycles and cultivation into our own daily routines. Created by Design Academy of Eindhoven’s Sebastiaan Sennema, the unit allows people to grow, store, prepare, and compost organic waste, actively engaging them in a holistic and fundamental practice.
SolarCity, the largest solar installer in the U.S., has a very interesting business model. Rather than try to sell expensive solar systems, they lease them out and get repaid via monthly payments that are designed to be lower than what people paid for electricity from their utility…To do that, the company has entered innovative partnerships, like with Google, and now Honda.
This winter, try your hand at a different kind of homemade pizza. Add some seasonal vegetables to the mix and you’ll bring more excitement and diverse flavors to pizza night. This sweet potato and leek pizza recipe is just one way you can mix it up. Enjoy!
  • GreenJoyment(Ally): There really are some great recipes in these Wrap-Ups! For some reason I’ve found myself being intimidated by leeks, like, “leeks? What are those? .. Oh, like an onion? I’ll just use onion instead.” But this recipe makes me want to give them a try. Go out on a limb and try this recipe! Leave a comment and let us know what you think!
A couple of factors are coming together to breathe new life into hopes for environmental action in the U.S. The combination of political will and renewed enviromental activism are lending support to the possibility that we may see unprecedented climate action in the U.S. over the next four years.
You wouldn’t think that a place like the Community Food Co-op in Bozeman, Mont., has much work to do when it comes to sustainability. In this college town of 38,000 people, the co-op boasts 20,000 members — a sign that it must be doing something right. But even with that kind of green cred, there’s room for improvement.
The LA Times recently reported on a new publication by Experian Automotive indicating that, contrary to what we might like to believe, a $1 increase in gasoline prices here in the U.S. would not boost sales in hybrids and electric vehicles (EVs). However, the Experian group’s report claims that higher fuel prices would increase sales of new, small, gas-powered cars.

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