Eco Friendly

GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB:GRHU), a San Diego, California based integrated energy solutions provider and developer of eco-friendly infrastructure, released it has closed on its previously announced acquisition of Life Protection, Inc. located in North Carolina. LPI provides innovative training, support, design and construction of facilities and services to meet the needs of the U.S. government, military, and law enforcement agencies.

The acquisition is expected to be accretive to 2010 earnings and to provide GreenHouse with an estimated revenue contribution in excess of $2 million for 2010. LPI, and its parent company, LPI-R.O.A.D.House LLC, have generated approximately $4 million in unaudited, consolidated revenue in the first half of 2010. As previously announced, GreenHouse will issue 1,118,750 shares of common stock to acquire LPI.

GreenHouse Holdings, Inc. is a San Diego, California based integrator of some of the world’s most innovative environmental, public safety, infrastructure technologies. GreenHouse provides systems that are financially sound and sustainable to residential, commercial, industrial and government markets around the globe.

GreenHouse provides energy-efficiency products, energy management systems, eco-friendly infrastructure, scalable waste-to-fuel bio-fuel and closed loop systems, as well as other proprietary technologies and products that are utilized to provide a greener and safer future for millions of people. Other flagship products and solutions include the Green Village, R.A.P.S., and One Link.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Foster Wheeler AG (NASDAQ:FWLT) released that it has advanced the date of its third-quarter 2010 investor call to Thursday, November 4 at 4:00 p.m. Central European Standard Time (11:00 a.m. Eastern Time in the U.S.). The call had originally been scheduled for Friday, November 5. Foster Wheeler expects to release its quarterly financial results on November 4, before the U.S. markets open.

Foster Wheeler AG is a global engineering and construction contractor and power equipment supplier delivering technically advanced, reliable facilities and equipment. Foster Wheeler employs approximately 13,000 talented professionals with specialized expertise dedicated to serving its clients through one of its two primary business groups.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mattel Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT) lost a bid for review of a federal appeals court ruling that the company must retry its claims to MGA Entertainment Inc.’s Bratz dolls. The U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco denied Mattel’s petition for rehearing and review by a larger panel of judges, according to a filing on october 21, 2010.

In July, a three-member appeals panel overturned a December 2008 order that gave Mattel rights to most of MGA’s Bratz products. A jury in the case found that the designer who created the dolls was working at Mattel when he conceived of the idea and the name and made the initial drawings for the pouty and multiethnic dolls.

Mattel, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of various toy products worldwide. Mattel’s products include fashion dolls and accessories, vehicles and playsets, and games and puzzles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Skyworks Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:SWKS) an innovator of high reliability analog and mixed signal semiconductors enabling a broad range of end markets, announced on October 25, 2010 that it has opened an office in Singapore (Skyworks Global Pte Ltd) to support increasing demand for solutions within its linear products portfolio and to further enhance its manufacturing activities in the region. Skyworks Solutions, Inc. is an innovator of high reliability analog and mixed signal semiconductors. Leveraging core technologies, Skyworks offers diverse standard and custom linear products supporting automotive, broadband, cellular infrastructure, energy management, industrial, medical, military and mobile handset applications.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

View the Original article

OTTAWA — Nearly all “green” consumer products make one false, misleading or unproven environmental claim to attract eco-conscious shoppers, a new study has found.

The massive probe of 5,296 products by Ottawa-based environmental marketing firm TerraChoice found at least one misleading green claim on 95.6 per cent of the items.

The situation is even more dire for children’s products, with 100 per cent of toys and 99.2 per cent of baby products guilty of some form of “greenwashing” when they make environmental claims.

“We did not find a single ‘green’ toy that was free of greenwashing, and only six of 706 baby products were ‘sin-free,’” the report noted.

Greenwashing is the act of misleading consumers about the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service. And while the use of respected eco-labels helps prevent greenwashing, they don’t always eliminate it.

Of products certified by a recognized third-party process, just less than one-third are free of any greenwashing — compared to 4.4 per cent study-wide.

The study, released Tuesday, noted that while one product could make a number of accurate “green” claims, the existence of a misleading assertion would be considered greenwashing.

The use of fake labels was also found to be on the rise. When TerraChoice returned to the same stores this year, three in 10 items (30.9 per cent) carried a certification-like logo so consumers would think a third-party approved the product as green, up from 23.3 per cent last year.

“It has become almost comically easy to find mock-certification marks on the Internet. We bought one for $15 … and it says, ‘Certified green, environmentally conscious,’ but it’s just a $15 item we downloaded from a stock-photo website,” TerraChoice president Scott McDougall said in an interview.

Even though the overall statistics are bad, McDougall said there is some good news.

The number of products with proven and accurate green claims has risen steadily since TerraChoice first started tracking the prevalence of greenwashing in 2007, when fewer than one per cent of the items had defendable eco-claims.

And products with a longer history of using green claims are more likely to use certifications that hold up to scrutiny, the survey found.

This includes office, cleaning and construction products where “green” is a more mature concept, “giving us confidence that companies actually improve with practice,” said McDougall.

Toys and children’s products are newer to the game — and it shows, the report found.

The percentage of products making “BPA-free” claims increased by 577 per cent since last year, while those making “phthalate-free” claims increased by 2,250 per cent; two-thirds of all these claims were found on toys and baby products.

The problem, said McDougall, is most companies selling toys and baby products do not back up their claims with any proof; 89 per cent of all “greener” toys and baby products provided no substantiation.

“They strike us as egregious because they go to the health of infants and kids, and we don’t have any reason to be skeptical of the truth of those claims, but the fact that there is no proof offered strikes us as abusive of the trust that parents put in products when they choose products for their kids and babies,” McDougall said.

“We think offering proof is an important threshold for all marketers, and in this day and age, it’s very easy. We don’t expect marketing to become boring with scientific detail, but we do expect that information to be made easily available on the web.”

Ottawa mom Lisa Dixon seeks out plastic toys and other children’s products with BPA-free or phthalate-free labels — and thinks companies should “have to back it up somehow” if they want to market their items as free of the toxins.

But there are some claims she just doesn’t believe.

“I look and see where it’s made,” Dixon said. “If it’s made in China, I don’t believe anything they say.”

twitter.com/sarah_schmidt_

TerraChoice’s seven greenwashing categories or “sins”

Hidden Trade-Off

A company trumpets one environmental issue at the expense of potentially more serious concerns as part of a hidden a trade-off between environmental issues. For example, paper isn’t necessarily environmentally preferable just because it comes from a sustainably-harvested forest.

No Proof

A company makes an environmental assertion but does not back it up with evidence or third-party certification. For example, facial-tissue products claim various percentages of post-consumer recycled content, but do not provide any supporting details.

Vagueness

A company’s marketing claim is so vague that it’s meaningless. For example, a product can be “all-natural,” but still contain arsenic, uranium, mercury or formaldehyde because they are all naturally occurring — and poisonous.

False Labels

A company uses a certification-like image or logo to mislead consumers into thinking that a product has been through a legitimate green-certification process. For example, packaging for a paper-towel product includes a logo that makes the bold claim that the product “fights global warming.”

Irrelevance

A company emphasizes an environmental issue unrelated to the product. For example, a product states “CFC-free,” even though chlorofluorocarbons are banned by law.

Lesser of Two Evils

A company uses an environmental claim to make consumers feel “green” about a product category that is itself lacking in environmental benefits, such as organic cigarettes.

Fibbing

A company makes an environmental claim that is outright false. One common example is products falsely claiming to be Energy Star qualified.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News   E-mail this ArticlePrint this ArticleShare this Article   More on This Story Quiz: Think you’re green?The latest buzz? A car made from hempSpoil the baby, not the EarthTerraSkin, made from pulverized rock, is an eco-alternative to paperShare, but not preach, green living tipsGreen gyms: healthier grist for recycled treadmillsEco-friendly raw materials increasingly popular in craft-making circles Story Tools E-mail this ArticlePrint this ArticleShare this Article Font:***** Image:****      Painting items as green when they are not is becoming increasingly common, says TerraChoice.Photograph by: Handout, Photo.com    E-mail this GalleryPrint this GalleryShare this Gallery   Photo Galleries » More Photo GalleriesWorld Series Game 1The San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers 11…

more » Ivan Henry free after 27 years…The 64-year-old man who served 27 years for sex crimes…

more » Canucks beat Avalanche in OTMason Raymond scored 28 seconds into extra time to…

more »  More Photo Galleries »   Related Topics OttawaScott McDougallBusiness  Hot Photos World SeriesWorld Series Game 1The San Francisco…

more » Ivan Henry free after 27 years in jailThe 64-year-…

more »  CanucksCanucks beat Avalanche in OTMason Raymond…

more » Top PicksJustin Bieber at LA Lakers gameJustin Bieber…

more »  Top PicksLion cubs take first swim – and other animals – at the National Zoo in WashingtonThe staff at…

more » VolcanoThousands flee as volcano erupts three times in one dayIndonesia’s …

more »   More photos »   Most Popular News Most ReadE-mailedCommented   Fugitive with gang links arrested at Vancouver airport, lashes out B.C. man who spent 27 years in prison as serial rapist acquitted on all counts Vancouver Island teens admit to ‘horrendous’ planned sex slaying B.C.’s top 100 companies, 2010: Resources drive top companies Campbell uses rare television address to roll out major tax cut Canucks beat Avalanche on Mason Raymond’s overtime winner   more »RSS B.C.’s top 100 companies, 2010: Resources drive top companies B.C. man who spent 27 years in prison as serial rapist acquitted on all counts Fugitive with gang links arrested at Vancouver airport, lashes out It’s still tiki time at the Waldorf Hotel Washing away ‘debilitating trauma and pain’ Vancouver Island teens admit to ‘horrendous’ planned sex slaying   more »RSS Sponsored By       Breaking News Alerts   Sign up to receive e-mail alerts on breaking news from The Vancouver Sun.   Submit   Our Privacy Statement  More Life Headlines »Latest updatesPeople likely to bargin and online shop in 2011Consumers still reeling from the global economic crisis will shop for bargains, buy online for deals and convenience, and plan to work beyond retirement…

View the Original article

Especially in these tough economic times, there is a lot of concern about what happens to the Space Coast when the space shuttle stops flying next year. Many of our neighbors — including thousands of scientists and technical experts individually with decades of experience — need a new mission. Here’s one worthy of their talents: building a clean energy future.

This is an especially timely topic because of the elections Nov. 2. Our state is at a crossroads. We can either elect candidates who favor old-fashioned policies and the dirty, diminished energy sources of the past.

Or we can vote for those who believe in exploring the promising new frontier that is one of the world’s fastest-growing economic sectors: clean energy.

Clean energy is poised to become the global economy’s next breakout sector. China has announced plans to invest more than $700 billion in clean energy technologies over the next 10 years. Germany has doubled its renewable-energy jobs since 2004. Tokyo has launched Asia’s first carbon market.

Meanwhile, investment banks are announcing that money once intended for investment in the U.S. is instead heading to other countries — because of the lack of a national clean energy policy. In the absence of clear policies and market certainty, the U.S. no longer seems the best bet.

There is competition within the United States, as well. More than 30 other states have already established renewable energy standards and put in other policies that attract business investment. But we here in Florida are missing out.

For example, in a recent paper, the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast said the state’s lack of a renewable energy standard has discouraged eight clean energy companies from locating here. The companies recognized the tremendous market potential in Florida, but they found that other states’ clean-energy policies mattered even more.

When a state establishes a renewable-energy standard, or sets up other policies that incentivize clean energy and efficiency, it gives business leaders what they crave — market certainty. Clear signals attract new companies, unleash innovation and create jobs.

Some say it’s not the time to encourage new sources of energy — that innovation would cost too much. Of course, oil and coal will continue to be a part of our energy mix for decades to come. But when cars were first beginning to make inroads, it was not the time to spend taxpayer money giving breaks to the stagecoach-making industry. When personal computers came on line, it was not the time for politicians to rush to the defense of the typewriter. And now is not the time for politicians to bend over backwards to help fossil fuel industries and the utilities that cling to them. If we want to build a more prosperous, more sustainable state, we need to look toward a future built on clean energy. And we need politicians who understand the stakes.

Florida has abundant raw materials: persistent sunshine that can support a robust solar-power industry, abundant biomass feedstock, and exploration-worthy potential for wind and ocean-powered energy.

Our human resources are even more important. At our universities and companies, and at facilities like Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Solar Energy Center, we have a generous supply of scientists and technicians who can create, build, and improve future generations of clean energy technologies. And there is a direct line from achievements in the space program to work that is central to the emerging clean-energy economy — from the creation of photovoltaics to developments in metallurgy.

This election day, think of your Space Coast neighbors. Forty years ago, ingenuity and the American spirit helped realize the goal of putting a man on the moon. In the 21st century, we must venture to the next frontier — the quest for a clean energy economy.

On Nov. 2, choose candidates who can see a bright future for Florida — unconstrained by political expediency and the dirty energy sources of the past.

View the Original article

THE possibility of a hung Parliament in Victoria may mean the Greens will control legislation.

The state election on November 27 could be a repeat of the federal election.

It may also become an echo of the comment by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott that “Labor might be in government but the Greens are in power”.

The Victorian election is likely to be a cliffhanger, with the tide already turning towards the Greens, according to early polling.

The Brumby Government faces the loss of six seats. The likelihood that they will be picked up by the Greens relies on Coalition preferences. But, while Victorians may turn to the Greens because of either frustration with Labor after 11 years in government, with major transport and hospital issues unresolved and a lack of confidence in the Coalition to turn things around, voters need to be wary.

In the federal election, the Greens managed to avoid questioning on their more radical agenda. Higher taxes, death duties, euthanasia, gay marriages and removing taxpayer financing of private schools were secondary to voters’ disenchantment with the major parties.

Traditionally, the major parties put each other last on preferences, but Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu needs to rule out the Greens or face a backlash from his own MPs as well as the electorate.

View Original article here

“People are moving towards a more healthy lifestyle to change their inner body, to make themselves more healthy from the inside out,” says Wade Schaffner, Owner of All Season Hydroponics.

One way to do that is to grow your own fruits and vegetables. Sometimes gardens don’t always cooperate, so many gardeners and even farmers are moving their gardens indoors with Hydroponics.

“You’re basically taking all the natural things the plant needs in its nutrient solution outside a dirt medium,” says Schaffner.

Hydroponic technology mimics mother nature with florescent lights and a water system to help the produce grow.

“Whenever they want their food, they can get it. Outside they have to sometimes wait for it to rain and sometimes it doesn’t rain when we want it to,” says Schaffner.

Instead of using chemicals or pesticide, plant growth is aided by all natural nutrients .They are absorbed in a continuous water filtering cycle every couple hours, depending on what type of Hydroponic system you use, and what type of produce you are growing. Certain fruits and vegetables can grow about two to three times faster than standard gardening techniques.

“You’re going to get a bigger fruit, a faster yield, and a longer fruit production time period inside than outside,” Schaffner says.

Hydroponics is a hobby for many long time gardeners, but for large families or farmers, it can be an economical way to eat heathy in the long run.

“While it might not be the most cost effective thing, I think the health benefits and the overall benefit of it outweighs the cost,” says Schaffner.

Something Wade Schaffner says one day may be the future of farming as we know it.

View Original article here