Archive for the ‘EcoMetrics’ Category

Solving the mystery of my doubled water bill would’ve been easier if I had a way to monitor my usage. I smell a conspiracy….

With over 600 eco-related labels and standards worldwide, is anyone really paying attention?

You’ve spilled some food, and don’t know whether it’s better to clean the mess with paper towels or a kitchen sponge. The embodied energy of simple decisions may surprise you.

An ecometric roundup for everyone’s favorite smoke spewing Icelandic volcano. First off, a map from the New York Times showing the airport closures and ash coverage: You’ll notice that the Icelandic airport remains ironically open. I’d be remiss if I did not at least briefly cover the climate impacts of the current eruption.  Traditionally, volcanic [...]

No, it’s not the latest green transportation method. Solar Cycle 24 refers to the 24th period of solar activity and sun spots we’ve tracked since the mid 1800′s.  Now scientists are predicting it will be a relatively quiet one. Expected to peak in May of 2013, the undulating storm surge on the surface of the [...]

This is what happens when a climate scientist engages in a little DIY solar pool heating project: Since the area of each of the two collectors is about 1.5 sq. meters, this means about 800 Watts per sq. meter of heat flux was being usefully generated by the collectors. I’m guestimating that this would be [...]

This Food Pyramid infographic has been making the rounds lately, asking the question “Why does a salad cost more than a Big Mac?” The answer it suggests is that government funding for the meat and dairy industries makes bad foods cheap. Sound familiar? These pyramids have been widely lambasted for engaging in bad graphic design, [...]

Occasionally, I like to take a Friday to tell you about the blogs I read on a regular basis.  Today, it’s porno-graphic. Chart Porn, run by DC Economist Dustin Smith, is an all-you-can-eat buffet of infographics.  Dustin compiles links to just about every note-worthy visualization, flow chart, or map on just about any subject. Thankfully, ecometrics [...]

In belated honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re going to go ahead and answer the age-old jazz question: “How much do I love you? I’ll tell you no lie; How deep is the ocean?  How high is the sky?” Well I’m glad she asked. Turns out, the ocean is pretty darn deep.  That’s a whole lotta [...]

It’s a perfect storm for developers of carbon accounting software: a brand new market, social and political pressure to comply, and a low barrier to entry.  And it’s worse than I thought. A recent LinkedIn discussion pointed out that there are over 60 vendors offering carbon accounting solutions.  That seems like a lot to me, [...]