·:[ Environmental News Bits ]:·
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For those of you who would like to get Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization in summary, my colleagues at Earth Policy Institute have put together a PowerPoint slide show.

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Take a look at a leaf, like the one above. Notice the elegant branching pattern of the veins. This is a constructal design. If you were to look at a river from an airplane, or the pathways in our lungs, these are also constructal designs. Scientists and engineers are beginning to realize that these forms can be explained and predicted by a universal theory of flow structures–constructal theory. Those who apply this understanding to design, are creating a new engineering and design science of constructal design.

We at TreeHugger made a go of exploring constructal theory and its application to sustainability several years ago. Since then, more people have picked up the concept, and there is growing excitement that constructal design may hold several keys to developing a more sustainable world. We count down the top five potential wins for constructal design and sustainability.

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As Senator Feinstein’s recent talk about making 500,000 acres of the Mojave desert off-limits to renewable energy development, on the conservation grounds, goes to show, conflicts over siting large projects is no less likely just because the project is green. Now, with the release of a new Google Earth layer developed by the National Audubon Society and the Natural Resources Defense Council hopefully some of those conflicts can be avoided.

Covering 13 states, the different maps in the layer cover land on which development is already legally prohibited or restricted, and lands on which development should be avoided so as not to disturb critical wildlife habitat. The National Audubon Society portion focuses on breeding areas for the greater sage-grouse in Wyoming and Montana.

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When the economy is tough, and and especially while it’s still too cold to get out on the bicycle and enjoy spring (as it is now in Wisconsin), people need good news. Wisconsin Rapids got some that many small cities would be envious of.

Energy Composites Corporation and the City are collaborating on plans to build a just-announced wind turbine blade factory that will employ up to 400 people.

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For nearly 40 years, Earth Day has been the one day when even the least eco-minded trade their apathy for (usually) a spade and a tree sapling. From its start as a counter-culture demonstration in 1970–which led to the formation of the EPA and to bills protecting the environment–to the worldwide celebration in 2000 that involved more than 200 hundred million supporters in 184 countries, April 22 means something different to everyone. Figure out which cause you want to support–and how–with the ideas and activities in Planet Green’s How to Go Green: Earth Day guide.

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Ah, it’s good to see those stimulus dollars at work in such a productive, renewable energy generatin’ way. Using those fresh funds for exactly the kind of green project Obama had in mind, Invenergy Wind LLC and GE have teamed up to expand the Grand Ridge Energy Center in Illinois with 74 wind turbines—increasing the total generation capacity by more than 110 megawatts.

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USEPA was formed in 1970, the same year Earth Day was created. And, as EPA’s Earth Day celebration website points out in an online history, it was “a time when rivers caught fire and cities were hidden under dense clouds of smoke.”

It’s also the year that yours truly was graduating from college. ‘What a long strange trip it’s been.’ Since 1970, pollution globalized along with US supply chains. Now, it’s rivers burning and smog churning in China. The Agency really has to think globally.

The list of online Earth Day offerings from EPA is great.

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TreeHugger has covered the issue of ocean dead zones, in particular the annual 8,000 square mile one in the Gulf of Mexico, a number of times. Now, the US Geological Survey has released new maps which pinpoint the watersheds within the Mississippi River Basin which most contribute to the problem.

The short version is that commercial fertilizer and animal manure in nine states—Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and Mississippi—causes 70% of the problem. But when you look at the maps the USGS has put out you can see that it’s a bit more complicated than that. Those bright red areas show areas with the greatest contribution; it’s really specific places within these states.

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As wind turbines get larger and larger—a 5 MW turbine has a blade about 180′ long, which at its height is over 400′ off the ground—the different types wind stress on the turbine can be of such a nature that components can wear out early, causing early breakdown of the turbine. Moog Japan Ltd has created a system that can detect the stress on each blade of the turbine and adjust them to reduce stress due to variations in wind strength.

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The month of April is usually a good month for recycling since Earth Day sparks some action around saving the planet. The EPA has caught the bug too, and has announced a big cell phone recycling drive in conjunction with major retailers, to last all of next week.

If you have a cell phone sitting in a drawer somewhere, now is a great time for you to turn it in for recycling. During the week of April 6-12, the EPA is pushing people to send in their cell phones, and has teamed up with AT&T, Best Buy, LG Electronics, Motorola, Nokia, Office Depot, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Sprint, Staples, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless for the drive.

You can contact the local retailer, or Earth911.org to find out where to submit your used cell phone.

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Nokia has a great green travel resource that is up in beta mode called Green Explorer. It is geared specifically for people who want to travel in an eco-friendly fashion and provide their own travel tips, and the site has quite a few features that can make it a top resource when it comes out of beta.

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In the winding path of my commitment to environmentalism there are a group of people who I always return to for inspiration. Each occupying a slightly different part of the green sphere, their dedication, longevity and commitment (we’re talking 25+ years for everyone in the slideshow you’re about to view) reminds me that though we have a long way to go in creating a ecologically sustainable, humanly-satisfy, and just world, we have a foundation of great work to build upon. Some of these people’s work you may know, others you may not, but I urge you to make liberal use of the links and find out more about each one. Also, take the time to list who in the environmental movement you find particularly inspiring.

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On a damp and dreary afternoon, about 15 people are gathered on a windswept hill overlooking the Bosphorus, standing in a tiny patch of green surrounded by Istanbul’s endless urban sprawl. They intently examine a muddy mound of dirt, covered with cardboard and weeds–the inauspicious-looking start to what participants hope will be a gardening revolution in Turkey.

Earlier in the day, the group, led by Steve Read, one of the founders of the French Permaculture Association, had scoped out the small plot of land, observing its soil conditions and its slope, where it got sun and what was already growing there before developing a garden design. This preparatory work is an essential part of permaculture (short for “permanent agriculture“), a way of designing and maintaining “agriculturally productive ecosystems that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems” (in the words of workshop organizers) that emphasizes working with the land rather than fighting against it.

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Ron Monahan is trying build an energy efficient subdivision in Aiken, South Carolina, and a few weeks ago announced that he was going to build between one and four Net Zero houses, (homes create as much energy as they use over the course of the year) in the development. However, when I looked at the site plan and the size of the houses with their two car snouts, I really wondered what was the point, given the amount of energy it was going to take just to get there.

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Is creating the next generation of environmental stewards as easy as sending your kids outside to play? Research suggests the answer is yes. A study done several years ago by Louise Chawla tried to understand what factors went into the make-up of people who demonstrated significantly pro-environmental behavior. After doing a psychometric profile of these people Chawla found they all had one characteristic in common: they all spent a significant amount of time outdoors playing in the wild.

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In Japan, they don’t just let factories rust away. Matt Frei of the BBC visits one where they used to make steel cable, but with demand down, they have converted much of it to grow hydroponic lettuce, with the former steelworkers tending the tender shoots. “The company expects the solution will save the business and help it survive the downturn.”

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Chill Out: Campus Solutions to Global Warming is a program that gets people on college and university campuses to act on solutions for global warming. The competition is part of National Wildlife Federation’s effort to encourage climate leadership and sustainability on campuses, and out into the broader communities. Check out how you can get involved and win some cool prizes.

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Two new bills that would pay American consumers to get rid of their old gas guzzlers in exchange for new, more fuel efficient cars are picking up steam in Congress. The cash for clunkers bills have garnered wide bipartisan support and could reward new car buyers up to $5,000 for getting their pollutin’ jalopies off the road. But would the plans work?