NEW! Professional Organizing Services

Posted March 27, 2009

We are currently offering our Professional Organizing Services for only $0.25 a square foot!

At PYTHON JUNK REMOVAL we believe that organizing is the most direct way that people can make an immediate change in their lives. Witnessing and guiding a process which can make an environment lighter, more relaxing, more beautiful and more efficient is extremely rewarding. Our goal is not to organize things the way we would for ourselves, but to create a system that works for our clients.

We will also MATCH any of our competitors prices and take an ADDITIONAL 10% off!

Posted in General

Does your house look like this?

Yale Environment 360 Publication

Yale Environment 360

The Greening of Concrete

Researchers are working on ways to slash carbon dioxide emissions associated with the production of concrete and even to develop forms of the material that can sequester CO2, The New York Times reports. The manufacturing of Portland cement, a key ingredient in concrete, accounts for 5 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions because limestone and other cement components must be heated to 2700° F. Scientists and engineers are now replacing much of Portland cement with fly ash from coal-powered power plants or slag from blast furnaces. A British startup, Novacem, is experimenting with a type of concrete that would absorb carbon dioxide, and a Canadian firm, Carbon Sense Solutions, is working on bubbling CO2 through cement to sequester carbon. An American company, Calera, is experimenting with bubbling flu gases through seawater near a California power plant to create carbonate minerals that can be used in cement production. One cement producer, Italicementi Group, is even adding titanium dioxide to concrete, which keeps the material white by acting as a catalyst under sunlight to break down the organic pollutants that darken concrete.

Sharp Emissions Cuts To Be Proposed by Key U.S. Congressman

U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, will soon propose carbon cap-and-trade legislation calling for a 43 percent cut in CO2 emissions in the next 20 years and a requirement that one-quarter of the country’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. Aides to Waxman say that his committee hopes to approve cap-and-trade legislation in May that would call for reducing carbon emissions by 20 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and by 83 percent by 2050 — even more ambitious targets than those proposed by President Obama. Waxman has yet to decide what percentage of carbon permits will be auctioned to industry and what percentage will initially be issued for free, the aides said. Waxman and Obama hope to pass carbon cap-and-trade legislation by the end of this year. But opposition will be fierce, with most Republicans and some conservative Democrats arguing that putting a price on carbon will further harm the economy as the country struggles to emerge from a deep recession.

U.S. Panel Says Detroit
Fails to Make Shift to Fuel-Efficient Cars

U.S. automakers’ reliance on trucks, SUVs and larger passenger cars stands in contrast with consumer trends and the government’s mandate for more fuel-efficient vehicles, an automotive task force created by the Obama administration concluded in a report. While General Motors has touted the hybrid electric Chevy Volt as a fuel-efficient alternative, the car is “likely be too expensive to be commercially successful in the short term,” the report by the Auto Task Force concluded, and GM is “at least one generation behind Toyota on advanced, ‘green’ powertrain development.” Chrysler, meanwhile, does not have the small car models that will make the automaker a viable player as consumers increasingly seek smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, the task force found. The task force report was released as Obama issued an ultimatum to U.S. automakers on what they must do to continue receiving government support. Obama gave GM 60 days to develop a strategy to remain viable, and allowed Chrysler one month to complete a merger with Italy's Fiat SpA.

U.S., China Voice Support For Climate Action, But Warn of Hurdles

Representatives from China and the United States, the world’s two largest emitters of greenhouse gases, told a U.N. conference on climate change in Bonn that they support an international accord to begun reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but both warned against expecting their governments to sign on to drastic cuts. Todd Stern, President Obama’s chief climate negotiator, vowed that the U.S. would be “powerfully, fervently engaged” in efforts to reach a climate pact later this year in Copenhagen. But he warned the world community not to expect that the U.S. can wave a “magic wand” and miraculously produce a global climate agreement. Stern also said that the Obama administration is politically constrained to sign on to realistic CO2 cuts that the U.S. Congress will support. China’s climate ambassador, Yu Qingtai, applauded the Obama administration’s willingness to tackle the climate challenge and said China will make its “due contribution” to solving the climate crisis. But he said developed nations had to lead the way and warned that while China is willing to slow its growth in CO2 emissions, it is not ready to make absolute cuts that would hamper the country's economic development. “I do not suggest that people in China should remain in darkness ... because we have a climate challenge,” Yu said.

Despite Economy, The Prospects For Green Energy Remain Strong

The economic downturn need not halt the development of green energy. In fact, with renewable technologies improving dramatically and new U.S. policies emerging, continued progress toward an energy revolution is inevitable. BY JACKSON ROBINSON AND ELIZABETH LEVY