The great Christmas-tree debate should be settled for now. No more agonizing over artificial versus natural, not after the Canadian sustainable-development firm ellipsosreleased a bombshell study last year. A life-cycle assessment - following "the recognized ISO 14040 and 14044 standards" and relying on "no funding (direct or indirect) by any of the concerned stakeholders" - determined that "a natural tree will generate 3.1 kg of greenhouse gases whereas the artificial tree will produce 8.1 kg per year." The president of the firm, Jean-Sebastien Trudel, rightly called the finding "astonishing," given that "the artificial tree is reusable" and "the natural tree requires annual trips to purchase it." ...more

December 26, 2009

With 20,000 delegates, advocates and journalists jetting to Copenhagen for planet Earth's last chance, the carbon footprint of the global warming summit will be the only impressive consequence of the climate change meeting. Its organizers had hoped it would produce binding caps on emissions, global taxation to redistribute trillions of dollars and micromanagement of everyone's choices. ...more

December 5, 2009

The city's carbon footprint could soon be getting bigger. Tampa officials want to increase the amount of methanol they're allowed to use at the Howard F. Curren Wastewater Treatment Plant, a move environmental regulators say will double the level of hazardous air emissions coming from the facility. ...more

November 7, 2009

The federal government is opening its wallet, and Tampa is ready to spend. ...more

June 20, 2009

Is Tampa doing enough to conserve energy and reduce its carbon footprint? Determining that will be one of many tasks awaiting a new citizens task force created by Mayor Pam Iorio that over the next several months will work on implementing a new citywide energy conservation initiative with Tampa Electric Co., the city's main utility. The task force will come up with recommendations for energy conservation, renewable energy and climate-change initiatives for implementation by city officials and TECO. ...more

March 18, 2009

A dad's efforts to go green meet with scorn from his wife and daughter. ...more

March 12, 2009

Determined to "do something," President Barack Obama barnstormed Fort Myers on Tuesday on behalf of Nancy Pelosi's spendapalooza but found what restless locals have in mind is, um, something else. ...more

February 11, 2009

In response to "Bring it on" concerning global warming, I offer the following facts: Spikes in cold temperatures are caused by movement of the jet stream causing it to carry arctic air southward. Any satellite photo will clearly reveal that the polar ice caps are retreating at an alarming rate. ...more

January 21, 2009

Community members working to devise a vision for the area south of the Little Manatee River may want to think about new, greener ways of orchestrating their vision. ...more

January 21, 2009

Pasco County collected piles of old electronics and gallons of paint and household chemicals as part of Saturday's Green Living Expo at the county fairgrounds. ...more

January 14, 2009