web 2.0

Hey Congress, How About $4 Billion for High-Speed Rail?

photo high speed bullet train movingCredit: Richard Fisher.

Fourbillion.com wants folks to jump on the high-speed train, and pump up Amtrak, too. The four billion is a mantra being used by Transportation for America to push Congress to approve $4 billion more for bullet trains in 2011, and another $2.6 billion for Amtrak. Apparently, sixpointsixbillion.com was already taken….Read the full story on TreeHugger

Solar Powered Fridges Have Huge Impact on Struggling Villages in Swaziland

swaziland.jpg
photo: J. Novak

Swaziland is one of the poorest and most rural nations in the world. Most of the villages have no running water, electricity, or refrigerators. But a new innovation is serving to make life a lot more manageable for rural families in Swaziland. The communal building in many of the villages now has a solar powered fridge. See how these responsible refrigerators are impacting many African villages….Read the full story on TreeHugger

In Chicago, A Fashion Show Satisfies Our Love for Recycled Textiles (and Our Sweet Tooth, Too) [Photos]

M M Dress photo
From afar it looks like just another golden hued evening gown but up close it’s hundreds of M&M wrappers–yum! Image courtesy of EarthShare Illinois

We’re no strangers to green fashion in Chicago; Designers Vaute Couture, Frei Designs, and Mountains of the Moon</a…Read the full story on TreeHugger

BP siphons gushing oil while Obama defends his actions

Oil flows through the LMRP containment cap in the area of the cut riser pipe at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico in this video image taken from a BP live video feed June 3, 2010. REUTERS/BP/HandoutReuters – President Barack Obama on Saturday defended his handling of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, while BP Plc said it aims to siphon off most of the oil gushing from the ruptured deep-sea wellhead within days.

Obama vows help as BP sees oil spill progress

AFP – US President Barack Obama promised on Saturday to use “every resource” to help oil spill-stricken Gulf of Mexico residents recover from the worst environmental disaster in US history.