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Helen Bennett Harvey promises that no animals were harmed in the making of this blog. Vegging Out is a recipe for a new way of life. Or at least a new way of eating. Pull up a chair. Contact me at: hbennettharvey@nhregister.com

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

News of the Green

Vegging Out will publish green news whenever possible, send it to hbennettharvey@nhregister.com. P.S. We love photos too.

The following is a news release from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

NEW HAVEN — A national policy to cut carbon emissions by as much as 40 percent over the next 20 years could still result in increased economic growth, according to an interactive Web site reviewing 25 of the leading economic models being used to predict the economic impacts of reducing emissions.
Robert Repetto, professor in the practice of economics and sustainable development at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, who created the site, said, "As Congress prepares to debate new legislation to address the threat of climate change, opponents claim that the costs of adopting the leading proposals would be ruinous to the U.S. economy. The world's leading economists who have studied the issue say thats wrong."

But find out for yourself.

The interactive site, http://www.climate.yale.edu/seeforyourself/, synthesized thousands of policy analyses in order to identify the seven key assumptions accounting for most of the differences in the models predictions. The site allows visitors to choose which assumptions they feel are most realistic and then view the predictions of the economic models on the basis of the chosen assumptions.

Among the key assumptions are that renewable energy technologies will be available at stable or increasing prices; that higher fossil fuel prices will stimulate energy-saving technological change; that reducing U.S. carbon emissions will reduce economic damages from climate change and air pollution; and that the United States will incorporate international trading of emission permits into its national policy.
Even under most pessimistic assumptions, U.S. Gross Domestic Product would still grow by 2.4 percent per year, reaching $2.3 trillion by 2030 even if emissions are reduced by 40 percent below projected business-as-usual trends, as compared to historical growth rates of 3 percent a year over recent decades. Under the most favorable assumptions, GDP would rise slightly above 3 percent a year.

"The site shows that even under the most unfavorable assumptions regarding costs, the U.S. economy is predicted to continue growing robustly as carbon emissions are reduced," said Repetto.

"Under favorable assumptions, the economy would grow more rapidly if emissions are reduced through national policy measures than if they are allowed to increase as in the past," Repetto said.

Monday, March 24, 2008



Anybody want to weight in on this one? From NPR: The Mystery of Global Warming's Missing Heat

Read here

Monday, March 10, 2008

Green lifestyle fair

The following is a release from the Shoreline League of Democratic Women. Vegging Out is presenting it a public service only, not as an advocate for any political party or entity.



The Shoreline League of Democratic Women will hold a Green Lifestyle Fair: Energy Alternatives and Home Products from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 5 in the lower level of the Clinton Town Hall. Special guest speakers will be featured in the Rose Room and the Exhibition Hall in the Green Room also will be open.
The free fair will include eight guest speakers and more than 25 exhibitors to offer insight into real world energy alternatives, conservation and efficiency initiatives, and the most pressing challenges affecting the environment today, organizer said. For more information on the event, and for speaker schedules and times, visit the SLDW web site at www.SLDW.org. The SLDW seeks membership from women who live in Clinton, Madison, Guilford, Killingworth, Old Saybrook, Essex, Westbrook, Chester, Deep River, Haddam, East Haddam, Old Lyme, and Lyme.

Green Lifestyle Fair speakers will include: U.S. Rep. John Larson, of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; Robert Ferretti, Yale University, Office of Sustainability; state Rep. Betsy Ritter, of the Energy & Technology Committee; Anthony Rish, Gateway Community College, Alternative Fuels and Automotive Technology; Imani Zito, a green conscious consumer and mother of six; Steve Elkin, of Apricus USA, Solar Energy; Richard King, of King Energy Associates, Geothermal Heat; and Richard Hosley Jr., Hale Hill Farm, Biodiesel Fuel.

Green Lifestyle exhibitors include: Hale Hill Farm - Biodiesel Fuel; King Energy Associates - Geothermal heat; Bender Showrooms - Rheem tankless hot water; Middletown Monitor - Monitor thru-wall heaters /Toyotomi oil-fired tankless hot water; Monitor of Bristol - Solatube skylights & solar attic fans; Aegis Electric - Solar / photovoltaic and thermal; Solar Generations - Apricus solar hot water; SolarWrights/WindWrights - Solar /Residential wind; CT Hydrogen-Fuel Cell Coalition; CT Clean Energy Fund; Competitive Resources - CT Energy Efficiency Fund & Energy Star Homes programs; E - The Environment Magazine; Merrill Lynch - Green investing; Lorensen Toyota - Prius hybrid; PACE (People’s Action for Clean Energy); New England Green Building Center; Green Home Solutions; Center for Green Building; ReCONNstruction Center - Reclaimed building materials; Carpetland of NE - Eco-friendly flooring; Foodworks – Green products; Community Energy - Wind, Landfill gas & Low impact Hydro; and more Eco-Friendly representatives from leading companies.