These days, you will have to look a little harder to find a wine which is not synthetically manipulated in any way, be that man-made fertilizers, pest deterrents, or chemical-laden bottling processes.

But while they are hard to find, they are indeed out there: more and more winegrowers are now producing organic grapes using low-impact and biodynamic viticulture procedures. They are also upping the sustainability of their properties by controlling erosion, irrigation, and fertilization with the long-term health of the earth in mind.

Other vineyards are cutting back on their packaging and consumption. Some small local wineries offer neighborhood customers an energy efficient alternative to vintages shipped from overseas. So whether you are looking for that perfect party chardonnay or just a Merlot for sipping after a busy week, it is now easier than ever to green your reds and whites.

Cement production is one of the largest sources of carbon emissions in the United States; coal-fired electricity plants are the biggest source.

“With this technology, coal can be cleaner than solar and wind, because they can only be carbon-neutral,” said Vinod Khosla, a Silicon Valley billionaire. His venture capital firm, Khosla Ventures, has invested about $50 million in Calera. On Monday, Calera will announce that Peabody Energy, the world’s largest coal company, has invested $15 million.

Calera says that by changing carbon into a building material, it can make carbon reduction economically attractive, especially in places where there are no government subsidies or carbon taxes.

In 2007, Brent Constantz and Mr. Khosla formulated plans for Calera. Though the company declines to share precise details of its process, it says that it combines carbon dioxide with seawater or groundwater brine, which contains calcium, oxygen and magnesium. It gets left with calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, used for making cement and aggregate.

To make its cement more usable for manufacturers of traditional Portland cement, it is also making concrete blends of 20% Calera cement and 80% Portland cement – the calcium silicate binder used in concrete for buildings, bridges and highways.

Times of illness do not a conservationist make: It is pretty much just scrapping for whatever will provide relief, whether that is three-times-a-day deliveries of tom yum gai or a medicine cabinet stuffed with decongestants.

I’m actually just recovering from a two-week bought with bronchitis. I feel quite guilty about this; yesterday, I stood in the tissue aisle of the drugstore for a full 10 minutes, debating whether my nose was worth the destruction of so many old-growth forests.

In this case, sadly, I must admit: I decided that it was. Had I felt like my normal and healthy, eco-crusader self, I would have made the schlep to the supermarket that I know stocks sustainable boxes of 100% recycled, chlorine-free Seventh Generation tissue.

With a bit of knowledge, even the most pathetic of cold-sufferers can lessen the damage of their feverish footprint. Here are some ideas:

Washable tissues are an elegant, eco-friendly option. In the privacy of your home, who cares if you look like a granny when you’re blowing your nose in an old-timey tissue? You’ll find that they’re also a nice alternative to recycled facial tissues, which feel like sandpaper.

It’s not fun or easy to cook when you’re sick, but a week’s worth of wonton soup delivery can add up to a pile of trash, definitely due to all of that unnecessary packaging (who needs 10 packets of soy sauce anyway?). Just cook up a giant pot of soup that’s full of organic veggies.

With the threat of H1N1 this flu season, it seems like everyone’s going crazy with the hand sanitizer. Though many conventional sanitizers contain harmful chemicals like phthalates, and can actually promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria if they contain the antimicrobial triclosan, a suspected endocrine disruptor. Bottom line? To prevent your illness from infecting others, nothing is as safe and effective as washing your hands with soap and water.

Don’t pressure your doc into prescribing an antibiotic for your runny nose. The common cold and flu are viral illnesses, and while it’s not fun to wait it out for a week while your cough dies off, a dose of amoxicillin will not make you healthier. In fact, it could harm you, since every time you take an antibiotic when you don’t actually have a bacterial infection, you actually increase your risk of later developing a life-threatening superbug.

It’s very tempting to arm yourself with an arsenal of decongestants and sleeping aids, but most of these medications come with a whole slew of side effects — and actually do nothing to lessen the duration of your illness. They also will pollute our soil and groundwater with chemicals once they’re thrown in the trash. Interestingly, some of the best remedies are also the most eco-friendly: a salt water gargle to soothe a sore throat and hot lemon water with honey to calm a cough.

The best fertilizer for your lawn and garden is homemade compost, made from food scraps, fall leaves and lawn clippings. If you still need store-bought products, there are some things to keep in mind.

Commercially made compost has a high level of naturally occurring nitrogen and phosphorous which is released gradually and is absorbed more easily by plants. Other soil improvers, such as worm castings, Epsom salts and decomposed organic matter called humates, add nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Watch out for commercial fertilizers, even those that are labeled “organic”, because they most likely contain harmful ingredients, like animal byproducts or sewage sludge. Animal byproducts, such as bone meal or fish meal, may have come from industrial farming operations, and sewage sludge, might be contaminated with diseases or heavy metals.

The Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA), an accredited certifying agency for the USDA National Organic Program, approve of products which have been composted according to USDA Organic standards. The only synthetic materials that can be added to NOFA approved compost are those allowed in the production of organic crops.

Have your soil tested by your local USDA Cooperative Extension Service to determine pH and which nutrients your grass is missing, or test it yourself with a soil testing kit.

Once you know the pH, you may add organic matter to help balance it. Lawns prefer slightly acidic soils with a pH range of 6.5 to 7, while flowers, shrubs and trees vary in their pH preferences. Lime helps balance acidic soil, while sulfur helps with alkaline.

To find out the nutrient content of a fertilizer, look for the “NPK” number (NPK stands for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). A “5-6-5″ NPK number, for example, means that a fertilizer is 5% nitrogen, 6% phosphorus and 5% potassium with the remaining 84% representing filler material.

Spread only about 1/2 an inch of compost on your lawn at a time. Even though plant-based nitrogen is more easily absorbed, composts and organic fertilizers may still be applied too heavily, leading to nitrogen- and phosphate-heavy runoff.

Avoid applying fertilizer before a downpour which will rinse it away before it gets absorbed. Wear a mask if you are applying dusty fertilizers made with lime or any other fine particles that you might inhale.

This includes renewable energy, greenhouse-gas reduction, energy management, energy storage systems and greening the campus transportation fleet. The university impressively generates 80% of its own electricity.

“The only thing we’re looking at, at the campus, are quantum improvements…It’s not just to install the next incremental step; it’s to put in the next breakthrough. What I’m doing with my colleagues is going to have a global impact…I’m so anxious to put the different pieces of the puzzle together…Learning patience is the only negative part of the job.”
Though born in Maryland, Washom was raised in Hawaii and on the isolated Midway Atoll. His father, a retired naval officer, went into the electric-supply business distributing utility products and his mother worked as an account executive for a newspaper agency.

Living in the middle of the Pacific on a bird and marine sanctuary roughly the size of UC San Diego was for him a firsthand education in sustainability. The 400 residents of the atoll relied on a monthly supply ship, diesel generators and a desalination plant. With only two passenger cars, most people rode on bikes. “Using renewable systems was a way of life…You lived within your means. It was a radically different world.”

Washom, now 60, graduated from Honolulu’s Punahou School in 1967, more than a decade before Barack Obama graduated from the same school. He left for USC just as Hawaii was opening its first freeway. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management and finance (with a minor in oceanography) in 1971, and then an MBA the next year. In 1976, he completed his postgraduate studies in ocean engineering at MIT.

After working on solar energy for Fairchild Stratos Corp., Washom founded Advanco Corp. in 1980. Four years later, Advanco set the world record for the most efficient rate of converting solar energy to electricity, using a technology that NASA later considered using to power the International Space Station.
In 1989, Washom founded the energy and environmental technology consultant firm Spencer Management Associates and served as president for 20 years.

He has also advised the World Bank, the Energy Department and the International Finance Corp.

An avid surfer since childhood, Washom credits this sport for his risk-taking business style:

“That’s when my greatest genius comes out, at the end of the branch of a tree…It’s a culture to me. The element of risk was also combined with the grace and athleticism of surfing a wave, so you were scared and performing at the same time.”

Most vending machines, you see, rely on a certain type of refrigerant known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), you may have learned about these little devils in high-school. They are a chemical with power to cool the air, but they can also be 1,430 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide.

For this, Coca-Cola’s new refrigerant of choice is CO2 indeed.

The publication of the Velders Report in 2009, predicted a dramatic rise in HFC use due to steady growth in the refrigeration industry. The report mentions natural alternatives, including CO2, ammonia, and hydrocarbons (propane and isobutene).

CO2 removes heat from the air; this makes it a natural refrigerant. As it evaporates, it also absorbs the heat, chilling the air inside the machine. CO2 must be used at a much higher pressure than other refrigerants, necessitating stronger pipes.

After Coca-Cola realized that the largest part of its carbon footprint, 40%, came from its refrigeration equipment, it started testing HFC-free technologies debuted its first climate-friendly machine in 2002.

PepsiCo also installed 35 new, HFC-free vending machines in Miami just before the Super Bowl. These use hydrocarbons — like propane and butane — refrigerants which are already popular in Europe. The Ben & Jerry’s ice cream company is launching its own version of this technology at stores in the Washington, D.C., and Boston areas. Also, General Electric is seeking approval to sell home-use refrigerators in the U.S. using a hydrocarbon refrigerant.

Many lotions include ingredients which are derived from non-renewable petroleum or natural gas which have a wide assortment of health effects. 12 types to avoid are:
Antibacterials
coal-tars
diethanolamine (DEA)
1,4-dioxane
Formaldehyde
Fragrance
lead and mercury
nanoparticles
parabens
petroleum distillates
p-phenylenediamine
hydroquinone

Third-party certification of personal care products is rare and actually does not necessarily ensure a completely chemical-free product, or potentially hazard chemical-free product, however the following certifications below provide additional guarantees for animal welfare and ingredient purity. Among the most common are:
The Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA)
Ecocert
BDIH
USDA Certified Organic
Leaping Bunny label

Be sure to keep an eye out for misleading terms, such as fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and cruelty-free. These labels may sound reassuring, but these labels are not defined by the government or by independent third-parties.

Try to avoid hot water. You can always wash with warm water instead.

Try to keep your bathing and showering brief.

Be sure to use a mild soap.

Apply moisturizer to your skin immediately after bathing, that is while your skin is still moist.

And drink the recommended six to eight glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration.

Agassi became inspired to enter the electric car market at the World Economic Forum meeting three years ago, when he left software giant SAP.

Their biggest investor was HSBC, which took 10% of the company for a $125 million. Other investors included Morgan Stanley, as well as investors from the first round of financing, led by the Israel Corporation, which now has 30% of the company.

When asked how a company which has no revenues, hasn’t begun operating and has no proven business model, can round up that much worth from investors, Agassi said:

“The round indeed reflects a valuation of $1.25 billion, which is three to four times more than the valuation during our last round two years ago. … In terms of the speed with which the value was created – there haven’t been any companies like this. This is the largest investment since the crash in 2008 and the largest investment ever in clean-tech.”

Ok, but THAT kind of valuation?

“That’s a very interesting question. Look … we’re selling kilometers. The people selling kilometers until now were the oil companies.”

What’s selling kilometers? What does that mean?

“When you go to a gas station nowadays, you buy kilometers. It looks like a model whereby someone fills up the tank and pays, but ultimately, it’s a purchase of kilometers, 500 to 600 kilometers. It’s the same business, an energy distribution network, which is currently called oil companies or gas companies. The global kilometer market is currently worth $3 trillion a year, and [gas stations are] living on profit margins of 1% to 2%… Now, we’re buying the raw goods at a price that’s constantly decreasing … and we’re starting at very high profit margins, much more than 1%.”

Explain again about that valuation, what with no revenues and all?

“The total value of the Israeli kilometer market is about $10 billion. It’s being sold in servings of NIS 6.5 per liter – for us, the market share is 500,000 cars that get a lot of mileage – half of the distance traveled in Israel. These are leased cars, and the cars of people who drive 30,000 to 40,000 kilometers a year. That’s worth $5 billion …. We can get to that market share with profit margins of 40% to 50%.”

How do you get to profit margins of 40% to 50%? What about returning the investment, what about operations?

“I buy a battery and electricity, and I sell kilometers. On the way I’ve laid a lot of infrastructure in order to translate one into the other …. And my profit margins are constantly improving and eventually become very large because batteries keep getting cheaper and electricity keeps getting cheaper, while the price of a kilometer increases since there isn’t much cheap fuel left in the world.”

With Agassi’s plan, drivers will need to recharge every 150 kilometers – they’ll come to a recharging station, where a robot will remove the empty battery and insert a full one. The entire process takes two minutes, and most drivers won’t need to recharge more than once every two weeks.

When the project launches, hopefully in the second half of 2011, Israel will have 70 recharging stations. The infrastructure, that is the recharging stations, plus setting up chargers at customers’ homes, will cost the company $150 million. That being said, the company hopes to return the investment within 18 months.

It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to set up a charger at a customer’s house. Customers will not pay for electricity usage. They’ll pay a flat cost.

The charging stations will recognize cars based on a SIM-card-like device.

“The program that manages electricity consumption is amazing, because this is essentially the first time that cars will have a computer running Windows 7 inside them and a constant cellular Internet connection…This changes the complete driving experience. You can do things like navigation with other cars.”

Will the drivers like it? Will the masses get used to it?

“These changes happen in all fields. The large [car manufacturing] companies are looking at the changes and not moving. They’re like deer caught in the headlights. Look at the newspapers versus Google, look at pharma versus biotech, at the music industry.”

While the driver may lose due to the inconvenience of having to charge every 150 kilometers Plus, the up side is that electric cars will be less expensive: around NIS 100,000, he cites as an example, or NIS 20,000 to NIS 30,000 less than current car prices in Israel.

What is the word from Amdocs, Nice or Comverse?

“They see a decrease in costs, they see a fixed price for car maintenance. Remember that a year and a half ago, the price of gas suddenly jumped. And they also see a marketing opportunity for their company – an opportunity to be innovative leaders.”

And how will they sell it?

“First of all, the worker will benefit from the lower valuation of the car for income tax purposes.”

Agassi also said that Gas stations have no reason to fear the new business model – at this point, most of their revenues come from

“selling sandwiches and ice cream.”

If they become recharging stations, they shall maintain the traffic that powers their stores.

What about oil refineries? The company’s main investors are Sammy, Idan and Eyal Ofer. They also control the oil refinery in Haifa.

“Idan told me during our first meeting: ‘You told me that the days of the refineries are numbered, so why should I let someone else kill them? I want to be the person who kills them, because if this works, electric cars will be more profitable for me than refining oil.’”

He opined that cutting emissions by 30% by 2025 is unrealistic, while cutting by 80% by 2050 is a decent goal to set.

The reasons why he feels that the 2025 deadline is unrealistic seems to be realistic enough, they are:

• In order to do so, participating countries would have to cut electrical production and transportation related emissions, by 100%.
• Poor countries will still not be able to participate.
• There will still be inevitable emissions from domestic animals, making fertilizer, and the decay process.

So instead, feels Gates, the emphasis should be on developing innovations for power generating. As he puts it, what we need is “innovation, not just insulation”.

“One of the reasons I bring this up is that I hear a lot of climate change experts focus totally on 2025 or talk about how great it is that there is so much low hanging fruit that will make a difference.”

“This mostly focuses on saving a little bit of energy, which by itself is simply not enough. The need to get to zero emissions in key sectors almost never gets mentioned. The danger is people will think they just need to do a little bit and things will be fine.”

Wouldn’t it be neat if Microsoft came up with an effectual solution?

The “Gates Notes” is currently also headlining pieces about H1N1, global warming, education reform and the Sundance Film Festival.

Wiping It:
Well I don’t know about you guys, but when I get into the bathroom, and I know I am going to be there for at least a few minutes, besides reading material, I am going to be checking for crucial supplies. On this thought, I urge you to do away with the two-ply designer toilet paper! Switch to recycled. It is less expensive for both you and Mother Earth. Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, 4,000 kilowatts of electricity, 7,000 gallons of water, and 3 disgusting cubic yards of landfill. Also, look for toilet paper which is unbleached and chlorine-free.

Washing It:
Did you know that showers are the biggest resource spenders in the home? Well you do now! Replace your old showerhead with a WaterSense or another energy-efficient model. By doing this you can save up to 3 gallons of water a minute. Listen to this: if just one out of every 100 homes was retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures, we would avoid 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year. Amazing!

Steaming It:
While almost everybody has an exhaust fan in their bathroom to reduce mold, we shall not forget that the fan is not a friend of the environment. Make the switch to exhaust fans which are thermostatically controlled and not connected to the light switch – this way they will not become over used.

Draining It:
Remember not to let the faucet run. Using a cup of water when brushing your teeth, is one way to conserve water. Use the drain stop when washing your face or shaving – and make sure the drain stop works efficiently, and is not actually swallowing water.

Flush It:
Did you know that flushing the toilet is responsible for about 30% of all water used by the average American household – in other words almost 44,000 gallons of quality water is lost per family every year. YIKES! Make the switch to a high-efficiencytoilet, so you can use 1.3 gallons or less per flesh, as opposed to the 3.5 to 7 gallons of good water which you were using with your old throne.