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- Going Green is a video series devoted to environmental problem solving. Episodes air on Time Warner Cable's news channels, and on ESF's web, YouTube and iTunes U sites.
(produced by YNN News in collaboration with SUNY-ESF)
Going Green
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You may soon notice a change of clientele at your birdfeeder because of climate change. New York State's bird population is changing as birds from the Mid-Atlantic States move north and New York birds shift north into Canada.
Affordable Sustainable Housing
Affordable housing can also be sustainable, energy-efficient housing - case in point, a new 66-unit senior citizen apartment complex recently dedicated in Ulster County.
This waste vegetable oil, once used to cook up French fries in Sadler Dining Hall, is heading for this former greenhouse on the campus of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry where ESF senior, Greg Boyd, and his successors turn the waste cooking oil from Syracuse University into environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel.
We see the monstrous creatures every winter on the highways around the Northeast: Snowplows. And they dominate icy roadways, casting upwards of 200 pounds of salt per lane mile to keep our vehicles from sliding off the road.
The Minoa Wastewater Treatment Facility generates about 25,000 gallons of biosolids every week, waste that now goes to a landfill but it's waste that can be turned into energy.
Michael Amadori is working on a project that involves fish, leftovers and several heads of lettuce. No, he's not preparing a meal. Using aquaponics, Amadori is testing the use of food waste to grow fish and food. He's using the leftovers to feed the fish. The leftovers are dried and molded into pellets. The idea is to utilize food scraps that would normally go to waste.
Most office buildings in Central New York use an average of 100,000 British Thermal Units of energy per square foot per year. Energy use in this building is 80 percent less. One way they did it was by reducing the amount of artificial lighting.
There's a new invasive species threatening the Great Lakes, Asian carp. Some species of Asian carp can grow up to four feet long and weigh between fifty to one hundred pounds and they can be a physical hazard.
Coyotes have been increasing since the last century. They started coming in around 1920-1930 and since then proliferated throughout the state in fact they in almost every part of the state.
All roadways are open for bicycle riders, except for a few restricted roadways like interstate highways, but not all roadways make for safe and comfortable bike riding.
Imagine how many different plants and bugs and species you could find in 2,000 acres of woods and wetlands. For over 100 SUNY-ESF students, the Lucky Star Ranch in the Town of Chaumont in Jefferson County is all theirs for 24 hours. Their job is to inventory as many living things as possible.
This power plant, once fueled by natural gas, is being converted to run on biomass, biomass like trees and shrub willow.
Rainwater from most buildings ends up in the storm sewer system and that's a big concern because many storm systems are combined with sanitary sewage systems and heavy rain means untreated sewage and other contaminants pollute our streams and lakes. This building is different. Let's head up to the roof to see how it works.
Chambers Bay on Puget Sound in Washington State was the site of the 2010 U. S. Amateur Golf Championship. It's hard to believe it was once a mining quarry, home to a paper mill and lumber operation, in other words, a brownfield, a place where industrial activity might generate hazardous waste making it difficult to redevelop the land for safe use but brownfields are popular places for golf courses.
Bigger isn't necessarily better, in fact, there's a push by many advocates encouraging people to think smaller because structures like smaller houses are easier to sustain.
It may not be long before we see a shift in biofuel production as we expand the supply beyond corn ethanol.
The Village of Minoa is looking to reduce the cost of operating its wastewater treatment facility by turning one of the by-products into energy.
A national effort mandated by the federal government requires that communities work to reduce their carbon footprint and wastewater runoff and because it's national, that's means New York State must comply.
Changing the Recycling Process
The familiar blue bin won't be decorating as many curbsides as recycling companies change the collection process.
Colleges Working to Reduce Energy Consumption
More and more colleges and universities are working to reduce their energy consumption and lower their carbon footprint. Many are being spurred on by their students, like at St. Lawrence University in Northern New York.
Half of the electrical power used by this house and half of the heat needed for the winter is coming from a CHP, or combined heat and power energy system.
A new and innovative computer data center is under construction, a computer data center that's supposed to cut energy use by half.
This is what most people envision of a wastewater treatment plant, but there's a more low-tech system called constructed wetlands.
The effort to go green has created a new growth industry conventions and conferences on the environment. Click on Google and search environment conferences. Just one selection taps you in to 935 upcoming events in this country and all around the world. Conferences like the Green Building Conference recently held in Syracuse.
Cool Waters for Cooling Buildings
There is a plan in the works to use water from Lake Ontario to air condition buildings in the city of Syracuse. Dr. James Hassett is the Director of the Central New York Chilled Water Project.
Cooling Computers Saves Energy
Anyone who has ever used a laptop on his or her lap knows how much heat even a small computer like that can generate. Now, imagine a large room full of larger computer systems generating heat and using up a lot of energy doing it. However, that's not the case in the SU-IBM Data Center at Syracuse University.
Cutting Down Real Christmas Trees
This is a balsam fir, one of the many different evergreens that can be used as a Christmas tree for the holiday season. A lot of people, though, really question the sustainability of cutting down a living tree to enjoy it for such a short period of time.
Green construction practices are becoming more the norm. This parking lot, for example, is being built with a rain garden, porous pavement and an underground storage system to keep storm water runoff from reaching creeks and waterways.
It sounds too simple to be true but it is conserving on energy use can be both cost effective and fairly painless. One conservation measure businesses and institutions are ramping up is called de-lamping, another term for turning out the lights.
Big screen TVs, computers, DVD players, all the electronic products we can't live without all have what manufacturers call an end of life moment and the question becomes how to dispose of the item or recycle it.
The goal is to keep the chloride in the Solvay Settling Basins from reaching Nine Mile Creek, Onondaga Lake and groundwater and there's a way to prevent that while restoring wildlife habitat and generating a renewable energy resource.
They're expecting electric cars to grow in popularity for some people they're already popular, like Greg Tyler, an assistant professor at Morrisville State College, who bought a used electric car and fixed it up.
Electronics are Going Green - Part 1
All the newest toys were on display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and many of them are trying to become more eco-friendly, like this new green TV.
Electronics are Going Green - Part Two
Consumers and activists are looking for greener electronic products.
Ash trees are being killed by beetles called the emerald ash borer.
Researchers are using the solitary digger wasp as an early warning system for a beetle that kills ash trees. The emerald ash borer was recently discovered in Randolph, N.Y. so monitoring sites are being developed across the state.
Emerald Ash Borer Approaches Hudson River
The emerald ash borer is lethal to a very popular tree in New York State, the ash tree. It was first discovered in the western part of the state, Cattaraugus County, in 2009.
The ash trees are in serious jeopardy from a tiny insect called an Emerald Ash Borer and so far no way has been found to stop the devastation.
Employers Adding Bicycle Amenities
More and more employers are encouraging employees to get out of their cars and bicycle to work. One way of doing that is to add more bicycle amenities to their properties.
A multi-million dollar energy savings project is underway in the East Syracuse-Minoa School District that requires no taxpayer dollars.
Energy Efficiency Goes Beyond Doors and Windows
Energy efficiency in new home construction is way beyond windows, doors, and insulation. Today it's all about controlling airflow in your indoor environment.
It's is a pretty typical scene in a physical fitness center. There are a number of people at work on the 20 or so elliptical machines. But this physical fitness center at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts near the border with New York is different.
There is a lot of talk about building green, which is creating or remodeling buildings that are energy efficient. An Energy Smart Learning Center is a good place to start learning how to do it.
Environmentally Friendly Holiday Gifts
The holiday season is upon us, which usually translates into a lot of shopping and gift giving, and that can become a bad thing.
Environmentally Friendly Insulation and Packaging Material
A new company, headquartered in Troy, New York, is going green with environmentally friendly insulation and packaging material made with mushrooms.
E-waste recycling days like this one held in Rochester are necessary because of the hazardous materials in electronic gadgets like televisions, computers, radios, game consoles and cell phones.
A multi-million dollar expansion of the Oswego Harbor is in the planning stage. The three and a half to four million-dollar expansion is potentially very big.
This walkway is being surfaced with something that's very green. Not green in color, green as in environmentally friendly. It's called Flexi-Pave and it's made from recycled tires and stone.
Mike Vespi the F-M Assistant Superintendent for Business Services said, "The students will have an opportunity to monitor the data in terms of what electricity is being produced and so we are really excited about that because this is a project that will allow our students to learn from the actual installation of the solar panels."
We're all pretty familiar with Christmas trees, tree limbs, leaves, and grass being turned into mulch or compost but what about food waste.
The Army's Fort Drum near Watertown is becoming greener by incorporating green features into major construction projects.
Fort Edward Distribution Center
The 150-acre site in Fort Edward, New York is now the processing site for the PCB clean up of the Hudson River. But six years from now planners hope to take advantage of a new rail and water transport system to create a giant food distribution center.
Turning a former temple into an environmentally-friendly hotel.
More and more alternative energy vehicles are hitting the highway. Hybrids are becoming more commonplace. We even have mass transit fleets converting to hybrids. We also have more vehicles are running on biodiesel but here's something new, how about an electric vehicle that runs on hydrogen?
Welcome to the world of geothermal heating and cooling for your home. This unit doesn't look much different from the furnace you'll find in the basement of most homes but note the two pipes on the right side.
Human resource managers are bringing the green movement into the workplace. At a recent conference of the Central New York Society for Human Resource Management they devoted time to designing green behaviors in the workplace.
Nationwide, about 20 to 25 percent of our electrical use is for lighting so our homes are a good place to conserve energy and save money. Homebuilders have gotten the message from buyers and are doing a lot to build in efficient lighting systems, like motion sensors to turn lights off.
It's hard to believe but this 4,800 square foot home is the winner of the Gold Medal for Green Sustainability from the National Association of Home Builders. Marc Antony Contracting built the house for the Syracuse Parade of Homes with that goal in mind.
The Great Lakes Compact, governing the use and protection of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan and Superior, has been ratified by the eight states and two Canadian Provinces bordering the lakes, plus both federal governments. The next step is implementing the agreement.
A statewide effort to encourage homeowners to go green will happen on Saturday, October 1st, as people who've already done it show off their homes in the annual Green Buildings Open House organized by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.
This new college dormitory is uniquely designed to be built and used with minimal impact on the environment. In other words, it is more than just green building design and green fixtures and green appliances.
This may look like an ordinary road and parking lot construction project but it's not. It's being built with green infrastructure.
Everybody likes a beautiful lawn. The thing is there are different definitions of what a great lawn really looks like. Some people need it to be absolutely pristine without a weed to be seen. Others, you know, as long as it's green it really doesn't matter.
If you're looking for a way to keep your home or your business cool in the summer and warmer in the winter you may want to consider a green roof. There are other advantages as well as landscape architect Scott Shannon explains.
In an effort to join the ranks of those 'going green,' you may find yourself in this aisle of the grocery store. This aisle provides 'green' cleaning products for a bit more than your standard cleaning products. The idea is to give you piece of mind that you're helping the environment by buying 'environmentally friendly' cleaning supplies. But are they really friendly?
Growing more food locally helps the economy and the environment but northeastern winter weather stands in the way.
It looks like the future could be a return to our past when it comes to heating our homes. A hundred years most people heated their homes with wood and a lot of people are making the move back to wood with systems that are more efficient and a lot less polluting.
Helping Construction Sites Go Green
Construction sites can be a big source of environmental problems if there isn't good planning to deal with soil erosion and sediment control. Too often it's an afterthought.
When you hear the brand name Panasonic, you think of televisions, camcorders, phones, computers, electronic stuff. But there's something completely different in the works, the development of a low or even zero emission carbon footprint home lifestyle.
Most people find out they have home heating problems in the winter. Cold temperatures combined with icy winds quickly demonstrate any weaknesses in your home heating system, like too much outside air getting inside
The Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center is one three finalists for the Good Earthkeeping Award from the New York Hospitality and Tourism Association.
Everyone knows a bicycle is a great alternative to a fossil fuel burning automobile to get from here to there, but a lot of people are dissuaded by the prospect of riding uphill
Increasing the Use of Solar Power
Solar panel installers should see a lot more work by the end of this year through contracts with the New York Power Authority.
At the new headquarters of the Center of Excellence in Syracuse, they will be studying all aspects of indoor air quality, but in order to understand indoor air quality you have to understand the quality of the air outdoors and that's exactly what Dr. Myron Mitchell and his colleagues at Clarkson and Cornell Universities are doing.
In the wintertime, people composting outdoors are not getting much accomplished because it's cold outside. There is an alternative that is done indoors, vermi-composting. All you need is a bin the size of a recycling bin; a container for your food waste; shredded paper: peat moss; some dirt or compost: and the key ingredient, worms to do the work.
How many times have you heard, wipe your feet before you come in the house? Well it turns out that is not only good advice to keep your house clean, it turns out to be good for your health. And Dr. David Johnson explains why.
This is a classic example of an invasive plant species. What makes it invasive, among other things; it has the ability to overrun native plants. You need to be aware of this so you can avoid installing invasive plants in your landscape.
This time of year is a great time to look for evidence of home heating inefficiencies, like icicles and roofs where the snow melts very quickly, and where the snow melts first on your roof is a clue to where heat is escaping explains Paul Crovella, an instructor in sustainable construction management.
The typical golf course that relies on pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and irrigation systems to maintain a beautiful green carpet is giving way to new courses that rely on a more organic approach.
When this snow melts, or there's a rainstorm, the water runs off into Geddes Brook and with it mercury and other chemicals are carried into Nine Mile Creek that then end up in Onondaga Lake.
Lake George: Eliminating Pollution
A $12-million project is underway to eliminate the single largest source of pollution fouling Lake George, nicknamed the "Queen of American Lakes".
Lemoyne College Introduces LED Lights
LeMoyne College is putting a big spotlight on a lighting revolution, LEDs or light emitting diodes and it started with a lighting change in just a couple of offices
Tossing an empty cup on the roadside or sidewalk doesn't seem like that big a deal but when it happens millions of times it pumps up the cost of litter cleanup nationwide to almost $11.5 billion.
You may not even realize why these shrub willows exist along the roadside. Yes, they are a part of nature, but they've been planted along specific roadways for a reason: to keep the blowing snow that swirls throughout open fields off the roadways.
We drive along our streets and highways without giving much thought to the pavement beneath but the traditional method for making asphalt is not very eco-friendly. Now, there is a way to make blacktop green.
The 2,000 acre Lucky Star Ranch in Jefferson County may look like your typical northern New York landscape, but it's actually quite unique with 400 million year old rocks known as Alvar, forestland, wetlands, and a small lake. Today it's being turned into a managed wildlife sanctuary. However, it didn't start out that way.
"I'm tracking very closely the growth and development of amphibian larvae that you can see swimming around in here, mostly wood frog tadpoles," said James Arrigoni, a PhD student in conservation biology.
Particles so small, we need powerful microscopes to see them. They hold the key to making plastic stronger and biodegradable. They're nanocrystals and commercial use could be just a few years away.
Natural Approach to Vegetation
The vegetation along roadsides is often managed with harsh, synthetic herbicides, but New York State is looking to take a more natural approach, and SUNY-ESF is helping to determine just what that approach should be.
New York sources of biofuel made from wood, grass and other forms of biomass could substantially reduce our consumption of gasoline and reduce greenhouse gas emissions according to a report from the Pace Law School's Energy and Climate Center.
New Homes Built With Concern For Water Conservation
Today we're all concerned about water quality and water conservation. Now, more homes are being built with that in mind.
New Homes Equipped With Alternative Energy Sources
More and more new homes are coming on the market more environmentally friendly with more alternative energy sources.
New Parking Lot Designed to Prevent Erosion
To a casual observer, this may look like a run-of-the-mill parking lot but it's not. It's designed to prevent erosion and equipped to regulate runoff from melting snow and heavy rain events.
Not Letting the Waste go to Waste - Part One
These dairy cows produce a lot of manure. Each cow produces around 14 gallons of effluent per day but Morrisville State College is not letting the waste go to waste.
Not Letting the Waste go to Waste - Part Two
The electricity running through this display panel is being produced by an internal combustion engine powered by methane gas coming from this methane digester supplied by the manure from some 300 cows on the Morrisville State College dairy farm.
Old Newspaper as Home Insulation
A new way to get rid of old newspapers is to use it as insulation.
The Binghamton City Water System covers a lot of territory.
Nothing enhances an urban neighborhood like healthy trees and the New York DEC wants to help cities across the state plant more of them. Trees not only help beautify communities, they're also very effective air filters and can dramatically reduce temperatures during the summer. The key is to plant the right tree in the right place as Dr. Don Leopold at SUNY-ESF explains.
You know, when we go to the grocery store we all face the decision, do we use plastic bags or do we use paper bags to be more environmentally friendly? As it turns out, neither is a good choice, according to Dr. Jack Manno.
Carmela Peters is driving her Toyota Prius on phantom power. "When I take off from a standing still point, it's kind of a slow pick up, but I don't mind because I know I'm saving electricity," said Carmela Peters, SUNY-ESF student.
Conservation is an easy and inexpensive way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
A new law in New York now makes manufacturers responsible for disposal and recycling of old electronic gadgets like computers, televisions, game consoles and so on.
Once the holidays are over, many of us drag our live tree out of the house and put it at the curb. A municipality will haul it off, grind it up and then allow the residents to take the resulting mulch and use in their landscape.
Recycling Your Old Refrigerator/Freezer
Customers of National Grid have a chance to make money two ways in the refrigerator version of the cash- for-clunkers program. The idea is the same. In one case, older and less-efficient cars and trucks were taken out of service. Now, older inefficient refrigerators and freezers are targeted for recycling.
Reducing Car vs. Deer Accidents - Part One
Why do deer cross the road where they do? New research has found some answers that might help reduce the number of car/deer collisions.
Reducing Car vs. Deer Accidents - Part Two
Car vs. deer collisions in New York State are no small matter. There are 40,000 - 50,000 car vs. deer collisions reported every year. USGS research biologist Brian Underwood is positive there are many more accidents than that.
When we talk about alternative energy sources, the conversation usually revolves around wind or solar power but a good case can be made to include wood in that circle. It's a renewable energy resource that's readily available in New York.
Rescue Mission Recycling Operation
We've been recycling for 50 years now. We've been green for a long time and here's what the Rescue Mission recycling operation has evolved into; a 60,000 square foot warehouse where 37 employees sort and process 12 and a half tons of clothing, toys, furniture, kitchenware and other items every day, seven days a week.
Thanks to the SUNY-ESF Center for Community Design Research, the residents of Ontario now have a vision plan for the revitalization of their downtown.
Road Salt Harmful for the Environment
"New York State is one of the highest users of rock salt in the country. New York State uses over a million tons of rock salt a year," said James Craw, Village of Fayetteville Superintendent of Public Works.
Running on Wood instead of Gasoline
Imagine a pick-up truck that runs on wood instead of gasoline. That's what Rick Bates did and he built a gasifier in the bed of his truck to do it.
Sackets Harbor, a village of 14-hundred on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario, is going green.
Safe drinking water is a high priority and for most of us, our water comes through a filtration system but the City of Syracuse taps Skaneateles Lake and it's so pure no filtration system is needed.
Dr. Chuck Maynard and Dr. Bill Powell explain how test tube technology may be key to once again helping American elm and American chestnut again grace New York State and much of North America.
Seaside Goldenrods Found in CNY
Thriving populations of seaside goldenrod have been found in Central New York, a plant that was previously thought to have vanished from upstate New York.
SU Professors Michael Pelken and Thong Dang have embarked on a mission to revolutionize the world of outdoor lighting with a self-sustaining streetlight.
Shrub willow is an excellent renewable resource because it grows so fast. How fast? Just over a year ago, this plot was harvested when it was 30 feet tall and now you can see it's already re-grown to the better part of ten feet.
Soil erosion from rain and wind produces water quality issues in streams, rivers and lakes, degrades soil quality, and affects human health. Sediment in and of itself suffocates a lot of aquatic habitat but it also acts as a magnet to carry other things that aren't very good for our water environment.
Thousands of people saw this solar house on display at the New York State Fair; a 900 square foot home with a very unique design that doesn't need power from a utility.
It's overcast, it's raining lightly but surprisingly these solar panels on the roof of Walters Hall are still generating electricity according to Mike Kelleher here at SUNY-ESF.
Solar power is a great alternative to fossil fuels but it can be too expensive for many people to make the switch, but changes are in the making to so it more affordable.
If you installed solar power panels on your home, just how much power could be produced even in the wintertime?
Solar-Powered Trash Compactors
This is what trash looks like in a typical receptacle but here at Syracuse University, Chief Sustainability Officer Steve Lloyd says there is a new alternative that is more sustainable.
Sixty-six percent of all solid waste in Onondaga County that used to go to a landfill is being recycled, while nationally that percentage is only in the upper 20s. The Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency is running an advertising campaign looking for more.
We've all seen the heavy damage that can be done when violent winds or ice and snowstorms whip through our neighborhoods. Trees topple on cars, homes, and take out power lines. Homeowners can prevent some of the damage by spotting dangerous trees and removing them before a storm hits.
Students Compete in EcoCAR Challenge
Engineering students from 17 universities in the U.S. and Canada are in the three-year EcoCar challenge to build a more fuel-efficient car. Among those students is Albany area native Ryan Meisert, a PhD candidate at Georgia Tech.
This 98-year-old building has a new lease on life while setting a new standard for sustainable design and providing a high quality workspace. At the same time, the ecological rehab of the building is also saving money.
One of the most fascinating exhibits at this year's great New York State Fair is this completely sustainable solar home constructed entirely by Cornell University students and we had a chance to take a look inside.
Teachers Take Part in Research Opportunities
Researchers are doing a lot of work on Lake Ontario and one group of middle and high school science teachers had a special opportunity to get involved as part of a summer cruise aboard the Lake Guardian.
More and more colleges are developing courses that feed into the growing green economy. For example, Onondaga Community College offers an environmental technology course that leads to a number of job opportunities.
Teaching Teachers Alternative Energy
It was a workshop teaching teachers to teach their students about alternative energy resources, like wind turbines.
One hundred fifty transgenic American chestnut trees were planted to see if they are resistant to the chestnut blight and how they interact with soil and insects
"It's part of our mission, really. What we do here is try to take something that has life still and let it continue to live in another house," said Alicia Sierrawolfe, The ReStore General Manager.
New York State is putting up the seed money to grow green jobs. Recently, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority awarded $1.5-million to the Center for Green Tech Entrepreneurship at The Tech Garden in Syracuse.
When you hear about people doing trail maintenance, here is what they're doing in the fall of the year. The ESF soccer teams volunteered to clean up the trail on Goodnow Mountain in the Adirondacks and that means a lot of raking because leaves on a trail create a serious problem. After instructions, the volunteers take their tools and head up the trail.
Trees Die From Damaged Root System
We often don't appreciate the trees in our neighborhoods until they're gone, and most often, trees die off too soon because we've done something to the root system.
Turning Food Waste into Energy
Turning food waste into compost is a fairly common practice. It's even being done on a larger municipal scale. But is there a way to turn food waste into energy?
Here's a warning sign you don't see everyday but it's part of a growing effort to help wildlife and humans co-exist. Here, on a dirt road next to a wetland, the Blanding's turtle, looks to nest. That's if they can make it safely across.
Over my shoulder is a great view of the city. You see large buildings that create a distinctive city skyline, roadways from busy interstates to residential side streets, and forest.
The urban forest provides a multitude of benefits. The trees in the parks and along the city streets help remove air pollution, provide carbon sequestration, energy conservation and protection against ultraviolet radiation. So you might think the more trees a city has, the better.
Very soon, a new power generating wind turbine will sit atop this building as a demonstration project to bring this renewable energy resource into urban use.
We all know we need alternatives to petroleum for the fuels we use. Instead of using food for fuel, like taking this corn and turning it into ethanol, maybe we should look at something like wood, which is already a fuel as an even more efficient alternative.
One of New York State's most popular game fish is walleye, plentiful in waterways from the Saint Lawrence River and Oneida Lake to the Oswego River and Conesus Lake. However, researchers have discovered that sediment in habitual waterways could actually hinder the production of these popular game fish.
These Manlius Pebble Hill elementary students don't mess around. When it comes to water, they're armed with stainless steel bottles that they can keep full all day. It's called the water bottle project. The object is to avoid buying and using plastic bottles that can ultimately harm the earth.
Weather Stations and Air Temperature Patterns
A study of city air temperature patterns is underway to learn how trees and tree cover can influence temperature fluctuations, and temperature has a big impact on energy use for heating and cooling urban buildings.
Wind Turbines Becoming More Popular
People are getting used to seeing the giant wind turbines of Madison County and up on the Tug Hill Plateau and they're beginning to see more and more residential size wind turbines.
Wood burning technology has advanced to such a point that you can heat your home with roughly six to eight cords of wood over the winter months. Now if you choose to go off the grid like that, how much land would you need to own in order to produce that much wood?
You know this may look like ordinary plastic, but it isn't. In fact, it comes from wood chips. Now we're here in the lab of Dr. Jim Nakas at SUNY-ESF and he's going to explain how in fact we get from wood chips to this.
