This week, the weather took a drastic (though welcomed) turn for spring-like after the record snowfall the Mid-Atlantic region saw this winter, with back-to-back blizzards dropping more than 40 inches of snow and ice and weeks of clean-up and snow removal to follow...
And while the old saying describes March as going "out like a lamb," I can't help but wonder if the drastic weather conditions between February and the current 70-degree highs during the middle of the month have less to do with Mother Nature than they do with global warming.
Turns out, I'm not alone in my suspicions. Researchers from the University of Melbourne released findings from a study this week regarding butterflies, linking the winged beauties' earlier emergence to climate change.
The Common Brown species of butterfly has been taking flight on an average of 1.6 days per decade earlier over a 65 year span, and researchers point to the human-induced bump in temperature over this same time period (0.14 degrees Celsius per decade) as the cause. Scientists observed caterpillars raised in a lab and compared the insects' development to temperature increases and climate change models.
Next time the non-believers want proof, they need only look outside for butterflies and other biological events that happen progressively earlier during the spring season as the years go on and the planet's temperature goes up.
So as carbon emissions continue to heat the planet, continuing innovation on the greentech side of the sector look to reduce — and in some cases, even eliminate — our environmental impact:
- Toshiba announced Wednesday their decision to end the manufacture of mass-market incandescent light bulbs, ending the company's 120-year history of bulb production of this type. Toshiba will continue to manufacture CFL and LED bulbs, which are more energy efficient and last longer than their grandfather, the incandescent bulb. The lighting industry is about to get a whole lot greener.
- New "smart" traffic lights, a project by BMW and Siemens that was unveiled this week, function on a network that communicates with nearby cars to give warning about road conditions and assist in use of anti-idling features. Perhaps the best feature of all, the lights "learn" about traffic patterns from those cars. This allows the signals to adjust cycle times to optimize traffic flow, saving fuel and commute time.
- A waterless washing machine that could cut energy costs by 30% is set to hit appliance store shelves soon, as Xeros Ltd. finishes developing their laundry system that uses recyclable nylon beads to remove dirt and stains from fabric. The London-based company says the use of their machine by the UK's population could effectively reduce the carbon emissions equivalent of removing 1.4 million vehicles from the nation's roads.
- Those who decide to purchase a Xeros washing machine can cut the water from the entire wash and wear process with clothing from up-and-coming AirDye, a California-based technology company revolutionizing the textile world. AirDye removes water from the process of dyeing fabrics, thus sustaining the dyeing process without water waste, pollution, and the use of chemicals or drying ovens. The process is environmentally friendly and cost-sound.
- A company called Hycrete is changing the face of concrete and construction with its new waterproof concrete material, which eliminates the need for the non-recyclable, petroleum-based encasing currently used to waterproof concrete. Hycrete uses low-impact green materials through sustainable manufacture, and has even been stamped with President Obama's approval. You can read GCL's coverage of this innovative company and material here.
So while environmentally-conscious consumers patiently await the next waterless and energy-efficient gadgets to hit store shelves, there are still things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, and let the butterflies sleep for a few more days each spring...
Green Chip Living's Jimmy Mengel outlines a few this week for readers. And don't worry — he suggests you don't, in fact, reuse your toilet paper.
Enjoy the weekend,
Brigid
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