Minimize the hassle (and your credit card bills) by planning a staycation instead. Stuck for ideas? Check out Earth911′s handy guide to planning the perfect Valentine’s Day staycation and start saving on cash (without skimping on the holiday fun).

Staycation Tip: Stave off cabin fever on your staycation by spending some time in the great outdoors. Enjoy a picnic in the park, bike an uncharted path or take a walk through a local pop-up park or community garden. Photo: Stock Photo

1. Plan ahead

The best way to plan a satisfying staycation is to duplicate your dream getaway at home. Sit down and think about your ideal Valentine’s Day plans and figure out a way to create alternatives on the cheap.

If you can’t quite afford a five-course meal at the Chateau Marmont, check out our recipe library and prepare a tasty dinner right in your own kitchen. If your Valentine’s Day fantasy involves a pricey spa, try one of our DIY pampering treatments to escape into at-home bliss.

Once you have your plans in line, clear your work schedule, find a sitter for the kids and take a moment to truly enjoy your home with your partner. Turn off the cell phones and don’t check your email for the duration of your at-home vacation to make you feel “away from it all.”

Still craving a real vacay? Cut back on transportation-related emissions (and vacation costs) by choosing a staycation at an inn, lodge or hotel in your area. Check out your region’s tourism website to find lodging near you and use our guide to make sure your pick is eco-friendly. Not sure where to start? A simple Web search with the word “tourism” and your town or region’s name should point you in the right direction.

2. Stay green

Like on any vacation, it may be tempting to let your green habits slip for a long weekend. But resist the urge and keep being green no matter where you go. Whether you stay at a local hotel or your own house, remember to help save water and energy and continue to recycle.

To up the green ante of your staycation, visit green businesses in your neighborhood, or grab a snack at an eco-friendly eatery. If you’re planning a picnic in the park, package your food in reusable containers instead of plastic bags and dine on portable reusable plates, like these from Preserve.

And you can never go wrong with getting outside for an hour or two. Enjoying the outdoors helps you remember why protecting the planet is so important; and you’ll save on energy, too! Instead of setting the thermostat to the perfect temperature and turning on the lights in every room, plan some fun outdoor activities to feel at one with Mother Nature.

Photo: Stock Photo

Starting this week, students from more than 600 colleges will square off to see who can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste.

The Alcoa Foundation and Keep America Beautiful provided recycling bins, as well as training and tools for campus facilities managers, as part of the annual university-based competition, RecycleMania.

Schools will distribute recycling bins as they see fit and submit weight data for paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, food waste and general trash each week, KAB said. Totals are tallied weekly on an online scoreboard, allowing participating schools to monitor how their waste measures up to competitors.

READ: National Recycling Competition Kicks Off

This year’s RecycleMania began on Feb. 5 and runs through March 30. More than 5 million students and 1.1 million faculty and staff – hailing from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five Canadian provinces – will compete in nine categories to see who recycles the most per-capita, who produces the least waste and who recycles the largest percentage of their overall waste stream. This year’s competition also includes a new e-waste category, KAB said.

“RecycleMania draws upon the energy of Millennials and their passion for ‘greener’ living to mobilize their peers to reduce waste,” said Paula Davis, president of the Alcoa Foundation. “We are proud to support this initiative and excited to see how creative schools get as they vie for bragging rights to the number one spot.”

READ: College Students On Board to Keep America Beautiful

In 2011, 630 participating colleges and universities collected more than 91 million pounds of recyclables and compostable organics through the challenge. This prevented the release of 127,553 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the atmosphere, KAB said.

Last year’s top schools included California State University-San Marcos in the Grand Champion category, Union College of Schenectady, N.Y. in the Per Capita Classic and North Lake College of Irving, Texas, winner of the Waste Minimization category.

READ: Cal State San Marcos Students Are Recycle Maniacs

This week, KAB also announced the winners of Recycle-Bowl, the first nationwide recycling competition for elementary, middle and high school students. More than 1,200 schools participated, recycling 2 million pounds of waste. First place went to Marshall Christian Academy in Albertville, Ala., where students recycled 41 pounds of waste per child and reduced garbage pick-ups by half, KAB said.

Check out RecycleMania online to view a full list of participating schools and track progress in real time.

Show your Valentine (and the planet) a little love by choosing a gift that gives back. Photo: Flickr/Valdiney Pimenta

As you’re browsing the Web for that perfect Valentine’s Day gift this week, why not choose a gift that gives back? Here are three fun ways to help the environment and your community while showing your honey you care.

1. Shop for a cause

A growing number of online retailers allow shoppers to donate to charitable causes. So, why not check them out for your Valentine’s Day giving?

Gifts that Give offers more than 100 top brands and donates 20 percent of all proceeds to your charity of choice. Select from national groups like Habitat for Humanity and Save the Whales or local organizations like parks departments, neighborhood PTAs and community groups.

Greater Good donates between three and 50 percent of the retail price of purchased products to nonprofits like The Rainforest Site, The Hunger Site and Ecology Fund.

GoodShop and We-Care allow you to peruse hundreds of online merchants, like Amazon and Zappos, and donate a percentage of each purchase to the charity of your choice. Causes include the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Environmental Working Group and Best Friends Animal Society.

READ: Facebook Game Upcycles Trash For Charity

2. Buy local, support fair trade

Support your community or a community overseas by choosing local or fair trade merchants this Valentine’s Day.

Start by browsing through a few mom-and-pop shops or farmer’s markets in your area. A leisurely stroll down your town’s main street could yield a bouquet of stunning local flowers, a found-object watch or a handmade picture frame that’s perfect for your honey.

If local shops don’t suit your fancy, consider choosing a fair trade gift instead. Fair trade refers to a system of buying and selling goods in a way that workers, farmers and communities are paid a fair wage. And you can often find loads of unique handmade gifts crafted from recycled or sustainable materials.

For a gift that benefits artisans (and makes your sweetie smile), check your town or city’s business directory for a fair trade shop in your area. Or browse one of the dozens of online fair trade retailers – like Seven Hopes United, Ten Thousand Villages and Fair Trade USA.

INFOGRAPHIC: Buying Fair Trade vs. Local

3. Go unconventional

If you’re so over those tired bouquets and candy boxes, consider a slightly more unconventional gift this year. Making a charitable donation in your loved one’s name is a great way to show you care (without adding to the pile of stuff in your junk closet).

Try adopting an endangered species for your special someone through the World Wildlife Fund, saving an acre of rainforest through CREA or giving a chicken to a hungry family through Heifer International.

Want a physical gift to exchange on the big day? The Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree in your sweetie’s name and allow you to choose from dozens of adorable cards for your donation.

READ: Recycle Reusable Bags For Charity

Homepage Image: Flickr/sonictk

But other companies are finding that dealing with waste smartly can add to their business portfolio and generate new revenue streams. What was once thrown away can now even become transformed into a consulting business. The following are eight companies that find profit in trash, either from collecting or incorporating recycled and upcycled materials into their products.

Green Power-Player #4: GM produces eco rides like the Chevy Volt, but did you know the company also makes $1 billion per year selling scrap? Photo: General Motors

1. DHL

Within its Envirosolutions division in the United Kingdom, DHL not only makes money accumulating and recycling waste, but also advises companies on how they can more effectively and sustainably package their products.

Customers can access DHL’s packaging knowledge database and gain details on more than 4 million different types of packaging. But Envirosolutions also works closely with a bevy of clients from a large British pub chain (hauling away recyclables) to British Airways (reprocessing food waste). The company is also a master of efficiency: trucks that make deliveries to clients do not leave empty, but instead carry away used cardboard and shrink wrap to recycling facilities.

2. eBay

Give eBay credit for its aggressive electronics recycling program. Long known as the company that helps you empty your closets and find treasures in your basement, its Instant Sale program tackles the problem of tangled electronic waste supply chains. Users can mail in that unwanted iPhone or laptop and rest assured that any forgotten naughty texts or pictures will be erased before resale.

EBay also makes its fair share of revenues from all the used packaging, equipment and yes, even horse manure for your garden. Its breadth of waste management solutions, dare we say, give the company Waste Management a run for its money.

READ: eBay Debuts E-waste Trade-in Program

3. Ford

From its base in Motor City, Ford Motor Company works with partners like REPREVE to divert items like plastic bottles from landfills. The fabrics that REPREVE manufactures from these bottles will end up in the electric model of the Ford Focus.

As many as 2 million bottles will be collected at two large trade shows in January and will be combined with other post-industrial waste to create polyester. An average of 22 PET bottles will end up in each Focus Electric that will soon roll off the company’s assembly lines. With the American auto industry revitalized, look for other companies to take Ford’s lead in making money from having parts and interiors manufactured from recycled materials.

READ: Ford’s New Cars Cut Water Use, Recycle Bottles

4. GM

While Ford boasts about using recycled materials, GM shines as an avid recycling machine. The once-again world’s largest automaker makes $20,000 a month off of cardboard recycling, a pittance on its balance sheet but impressive nonetheless.

A much bigger number is the $1 billion per year that GM generates from selling scrap. Its 92 percent recycling rate is not a liability, but a profitable asset.

READ: Chevy’s New Eco Labels Show Cars’ Impact

5. Ingram Micro

The world’s largest technology distributor with operations on six continents, this $36 billion company is now starting to tackle the mounting problem of e-waste. Partnering with a major information technology recycler, Ingram Micro just launched a program that will help clients throughout its distribution networks dispose of obsolete technology safely and prevent it from entering landfills.

6. Nucor

The largest steel producer in North America has its origins in building small furnaces near junkyards across the United States and now stakes a claim as one of the world’s largest scrap recyclers. About one ton of steel per second are recycled at Nucor facilities, including 9 million cars annually.

7. UPS

The 3,300 UPS stores across the United States offer a one-stop repair service for customers who want their damaged laptops repaired. Unwanted laptops are refurbished and resold; the rest are sold to e-waste recyclers.

READ: UPS Tests Super-Efficient Truck

8. Valvoline

The motor oil giant, part of a $7 billion conglomerate, is dependent on other companies for its petroleum supplies and is therefore susceptible to price fluctuations. To that end, the company is revamping its supply chain and last year rolled out its new NextGen motor oil product that is 50 percent recycled.

With this NextGen’s acceptance taking hold at huge racing events like NASCAR, watch for more recycled motor oil and similar automotive products to enter the market.

READ: Valvoline Debuts Groundbreaking Re-Refined Oil

Chilly temperatures and snowy conditions can make composting seem impossible. But recycling your own organics year-round is much easier than you'd think. All it takes is a little extra planning and maintenance. Photo: Flickr/andyarthur

1. Prepare for the slow-down

Composting is a biological process that decomposes organic material under aerobic conditions – meaning oxygen is required for bacteria to break materials down. The only trouble is – cold temperatures often slow or even stop decomposition, as aerobic bacteria often become more sluggish in the winter.

Even when the temperature drops, some microbes responsible for the breakdown of organic matter can remain active in the compost pile, according to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Since the digestion process generates heat, the center of your pile may still remain warm and actively composting.

However, the outer (visible) portion of your pile will cool to outdoor temperatures. So, you may notice increased decomposition time in these areas. Don’t worry about it. Once the temperature warms up, microbial activity will resume as normal as long as you maintain a healthy balance in your pile.

READ: How to Troubleshoot Your Compost Pile

2. Build a shelter

Constructing a shelter for your compost pile is the No. 1 way to help keep it active for the entire winter season. Start by building a protective barrier around your pile with cinderblocks, bricks, sand bags or plywood, suggest the University of Illinois Extension. A barrier between your compost pile and the frigid winter air will help keep internal heat from escaping, promoting active decomposition.

Not sure where to get started? Check out these detailed plans for a compost pile shelter from the Greater Vancouver Regional District – which include necessary materials and measurements as well as step-by-step instructions. If your’e feeling extra-ambitious, use metal sheeting or plywood pieces to add a roof overtop.

SEE: How to Start a Compost Pile

3. Keep it dry

Compost piles should always be kept moist to ensure proper decomposition. But loads of winter snow and spring rain can actually drench your pile, which will force air out of pore spaces – killing your bacterial buddies. So, try to keep your pile dry and protected during the winter to ensure a healthy balance.

If you haven’t installed a roof over your pile, the best way to keep it dry is to cover with a tarp. Securely fasten the tarp of your choice over your pile using stakes, and keep an eye on it to make sure the wind doesn’t knock it free. In addition to keeping out precipitation, a tarp will also help trap internal heat for a more active pile.

READ: 8 Things You Can Compost Today

4. Add the right stuff

A balanced compost pile requires carbon-rich (also called brown) materials to give bacteria energy and nitrogen-rich (also called green) materials to help them grow strong and reproduce. While equal quantities of both materials are your best bet during the spring and summer, your pile needs more “brown” matter during the winter season.

Brown materials, which include leaves, tree branches and other yard waste, give microbes the energy to continue decomposition despite chilly temperatures. So, add as much of these materials as you can when temperatures are low.

So, what about food scraps and other “green” materials? Frigid temperatures impede bacteria’s ability to process these materials. So, give them a helping hand by shredding your green materials to particles less than two inches in size, suggests the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. Smaller particles allow your pile to heat uniformly and will insulate it from outdoor temperatures, the organization said.

Compost shredders (like this one from Improvements) are available in stores and online for less than $200. But if you don’t want to shell out the cash for a store-bought shredder, check out this tutorial from Mother Earth News – which will show you how to make your own shredder from a self-propelled rotary lawn mower.

READ: Get the Most Outta Compost

5. Dig a hole and bury it

If you’re wary of loads of non-decomposed waste sitting on top of your pile until spring, take a different approach to composting until temperatures warm up. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service suggests digging a trench in the garden or flowerbed and adding organic waste (like kitchen scraps) little by little, making sure to bury the waste after each addition.

Don’t have a garden at home? Just dig a one-foot hole anywhere in the yard and cover it with a board or bricks until it is full of organic waste. Once your hole is full, bury it with soil, and dig another one to keep composting all winter long.

READ: How to Compost Outside the Home

OnStar is developing a technology that would allow Chevy Volt owners to choose renewable energy when it becomes available on the electric grid to recharge their plug-in electric hybrids. Photo: General Motors

Chevy Volt drivers may soon have a cleaner way to charge their plug-in electric hybrids.

General Motors announced Monday that OnStar, its subscription-based communication and navigation system, is developing a technology that would allow Volt owners to choose renewable energy when it becomes available on the electric grid to recharge their cars.

How would the new OnStar service work? PJM Interconnection, a company that manages the electric grid for 13 states and the District of Columbia, will track the percentage of renewable energy available on the grid and send that data to OnStar’s cloud. OnStar will monitor the number of Volts being charged and match them with renewable energy, depending on the customer’s interest.

OnStar is also working on an accompanying mobile phone app that would alert Volt owners when the clean energy becomes available.

READ: Is the Chevy Volt Really a Fit for You?

OnStar’s new smart grid solution will not only help Volt drivers reduce their carbon footprint, but it may also save them money, the company said in a statement. Because wind energy is most readily available between 10 a.m. and 6 a.m., recharging a vehicle with wind power overnight will cost less than charging during peak times of energy use during the day when electric rates are higher.

To test the new technology, OnStar has teamed up with Google to try out the smart grid solution on Google’s 17 Volts based at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. OnStar is also demonstrating the new technology at this week’s DistribuTECH Conference and Exhibition in San Antonio.

OnStar’s new smart grid solution would work by monitoring the number of Chevy Volts being charged and matching them with available renewable energy, based on data provided by a company that manages the electric grid for 13 states and the District of Columbia. Photo: General Motors

Last year, Americans threw away 3.5 million tons of carpet and rugs, and only 9 percent of this material was recycled, according to the U.S. EPA.

But companies like The Carpet Recyclers are looking to increase the nation’s carpet recycling rate, finding new uses for old carpets and keeping them out of our landfills.

The Southern California-based company recently released a video which offers a behind-the-scenes look at its state-of-the-art recycling facility in La Mirada, Calif.

Since the facility opened its doors in 2009, The Carpet Recyclers have created 100 green collar jobs and recycled over 100 million pounds of carpet. Because carpet is a petroleum-based product, this represents a savings of 10 million gallons of oil, the company says.

What makes The Carpet Recyclers different from other carpet recycling companies? Most recyclers burn or trash the carpet’s backing, which makes up of 80 percent of the carpet, according to The Carpet Recyclers. But their company has developed technology to separate the backing into its component materials for recycling: fibers, polypropylene plastic and limestone filler.

The Carpet Recyclers sell these materials to manufacturers that make a host of new products out of the old carpet: car parts, building materials, park benches, carpet and carpet pads, and high-energy fuel.

Benefitting from a 2011 California law that charges a fee on carpet sold in the state to fund recycling efforts, The Carpet Recyclers say they’re on track to recycle over 60 million pounds of carpet in 2011.

READ: Calif. Slaps Fee on Carpet to Increase Recycling

Homepage image: Wikimedia Commons, by Quadell

If your dirty dog is always tracking in dirt and mud, check out Dog Gone Smart's beds and mats that "stay clean naturally." Photo: Flickr/TineyHo

If you’re a green pet owner who is always on the hunt for the coolest eco accessories for your four-legged friend, you’ll definitely want to check this out.

Dog Gone Smart Pet Products will be exhibiting a new line of eco-friendly gear at the upcoming Global Pet Expo that promises to “stay clean naturally” by using nanotechnology, including microfiber and waterproofing processes, to keep dirt and water out.

READ: A Reader Asks: How Can I Green My Kitty?

The line includes the ECO series of pet beds that use recycled fill and waterproofing to block out dirt and moisture, making it ideal for the outdoors and for pets with incontinence, the company said.

Dog Gone Smart will also exhibit its top-selling Dirty Dog Doormat, which uses microfiber technology to trap water, dirt and mud instantly – meaning no more paw-prints on your floor! The mat soaks up to seven times its weight in mud and water, dries five times faster than ordinary doormats and can be machine washed and dried, the company said.

Other products to be launched at the pet expo – held Feb. 29 to March 2 in Orlando, Fla. – include waterproof doggie jackets and a saddle pad and stable sheet for horses.

READ: Best Green Products for Your Pet

Photo: Flickr/puuikibeach

Written by Kimi Harris, MNN

It’s that time of year again. With a champagne glass or a decadent dessert by your side, you declare your New Year’s resolution. Lofty and potentially life changing, you are inspired to turn a new leaf this year. However, if you are like 75% of us, your resolution is broken quickly, which leaves you feeling despondent and in an even worse place than you started.

This is dismaying and it begs the question, “Should we even make resolutions?” Despite the high fail rate, I think they can be both life changing and helpful. I think we just aren’t very good at making realistic goals. In fact, I’ve found it extremely helpful to spend a few hours every couple of months looking at my life and reorganizing, rethinking, and preplanning, when needed. So often we simply go through life getting done what we have too, but not doing what we really want too. When you take a step back to evaluate, it can give you perspective.

I’ve found planning goals (a term I prefer to resolutions) very helpful in helping me rebalance my life and learn new skills. If you are interested in making resolutions that actually stick, here are a few tips that I’ve found very helpful.

Make your goal specific

If your goal is simply, “Try to eat healthier this year”, it’s much too vague and general. How are going to know if you fulfilled your goal? What does “eating healthy” really look like? A much better goal would be to make a specific plan, such as “My goal is to eat a large salad every day” or “My goal is to eat 3-5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday”.

That’s getting better. But I find those goals even a little to vague and general. I like to make it even more specific, such as “Find 3 new recipes for making a vegetable side that the whole family likes”. It’s certainly not grandiose, but it’s a goal I can look at and say, “I can do that”. It also has a clear finishing line, that is, I know when I’ve accomplished it. That sense of victory once accomplished helps motivate me to make new goals, and accomplish those too.

Make it realistic

A good partner to making specific goals is making realistic goals. Don’t set up yourself for failure by setting your goals impossibly high. Make them doable. Make them something you know you can actually accomplish. It’s nice to make huge, awe-inspiring goals, but it’s not nice to feel like a failure when you don’t reach your goal by even a quarter. Make it realistic, and you have a much higher chance of accomplishing it.

Make each goal step by step

Another thing I have found helpful is making my goals step-by-step. Let me give you example. Let’s say I want to add more vegetables in my diet. Well, my first goal for January might be something along the lines of “Find 3 vegetable side recipes the family likes” and “Make a large dinner salad once a week for the family”. Once I have accomplished those specific, realistic goals for the month of January, I can move on to new goals in February.

Failing isn’t failing

Part of the way you can assure success is actually by not being too hard on yourself. If your goal is to cut back on sugar, and you fudge on the resolution and eat a slice of cake, don’t let it discourage you. Consider is a slight setback, and get back on track. You aren’t going to be perfect and if your resolution demands perfection, you are going to fail. So, whether your goal is cutting something out, or adding something in, don’t let setbacks discourage you from getting back on track. Failing once, isn’t failing your goal. Give yourself grace.

Don’t make a goal for a year

If you set up your goal deadline for a really long time in the future, you aren’t going to feel any urgency to get it done. That’s why I prefer making goals specific for each month. One great example is Crystal’s list here. She has a doable goal for each month. They have clear deadlines in a timely fashion.

Keep accountable

It’s more fun and keeps your accountable to partner with someone with similar goals. If you want to exercise more, it’s ideal to have an exercise partner. If you want to eat better, it’s encouraging to have a friend who has the same goal. But even if you don’t have those types of friends in “real life”, even online accountability can be helpful. That’s part of the reason I host a New Year Resolution Carnival each year. It allows people to share their goals in a public forum. Even simply stating them to someone else can give a sense of accountability and motivation. My husband and I have made goals together, which allows us some accountability as well.

In the end, when I make step-by-step goals that are both realistic and specific, allowing myself to be imperfect but with accountability of some kind, I have found I accomplish much more than I ever would have without New Year Resolutions.

For more information:
My New Year Resolution Carnival
The science behind failed resolutions
New Year resolutions doomed to failure (sounds completely dismal, but has good tips for making your chances of success higher)

Related Links

• How to keep your New Year’s Resolutions
• The girl with the dragon throw pillow: Chinese New Year decor
• 10 best foods I ate in 2011
• Sick of the expense and annoyances of yoga class, but still love yoga? Try Yogaglo!

This article was reprinted with permission from Mother Nature Network. It does not necessarily describe the views or opinions of Earth911. You can read the original article here.

Big Move #25: Is the Philips bacteria light gross or green? Photo: Royal Philips Electronics

1. NASA uses solar to power new spacecraft

In August, NASA launched its solar-powered Juno spacecraft for a 2 billion-mile mission to Jupiter, the longest journey ever powered by the sun. As of Dec. 14, Juno was approximately 61 million miles from Earth, crossing the orbit of Mars. READ MORE HERE

2. California hits 1GW milestone

California reached a major renewable energy milestone in November: 1 gigawatt – or 1,000 megawatts – worth of solar installations. One gigawatt is roughly the size of two coal-fired power plants and is enough to power 750,000 homes. READ MORE HERE

3. Google goes green

Google gained a lot of ground on the green scene in 2011. After investing in a biofuels startup, solar power plants in Germany and California’s Mojave Desert and a fund to help homeowners finance solar systems, the Web giant took a much smaller PR hit when it finally released data on its energy consumption and carbon footprint in September. READ MORE HERE

4. U.S. Navy embraces biofuel

The U.S. Navy made headlines in November by deploying a destroyer ship powered by algae-based biofuel for a 20-hour trip up the California coast. In December, the Navy placed the world’s largest biofuel order of 450,000 gallons in preparation for a 2012 strike group demonstration of ships, destroyers, cruisers, aircraft, submarines and a carrier powered by alternative fuels. READ MORE HERE

5. Tallest building in the U.S. goes solar

Chicago’s Willis Tower, which once went by the much more famous title of Sears Tower, went solar in March of this year – fitting the entire south side of the 56th floor with transparent solar-powered windows. Made by Pythagorus Solar, the windows were part of a pilot program to test the tower’s performance as a vertical solar farm. READ MORE HERE

6. U.S. airlines launch biofuel flights

U.S. airlines raced to be the first to launch biofuel-powered flights after hydroprocessed renewable fuels were approved for commercial uses in July. United Airlines took off first – launching a flight powered by 40 percent algae-derived biofuel on Nov. 5 – followed closely by Alaska Airlines, with two biofuel-powered flights on Nov. 7. READ MORE HERE

7. Tulane scientists power cars with newspaper

In August, students all over the nation thought twice about skipping science class after Tulane University undergrad Hailee Rask helped to discover what could be the fuel of the future. A bacterial strain, discovered by Rask, associate professor David Mullin and postdoctoral fellow Harshad Velanker, successfully converted copies of New Orleans’ venerable Times Picayune into a biofuel that could be used to power cars. READ MORE HERE

8. Intel researches solar-powered chip

Researchers at Intel debuted an experimental processor at the company’s developer forum in September that was powered by a solar cell the size of a postage stamp. The chip, codenamed “Claremont,” may never find its way into consumer products, Intel researcher Sriram Vangal told CNN. But it could be a significant stepping stone to future solar processor development. READ MORE HERE

9. Used cooking oil powers U.K. homes

In November, Merseyside, England teamed up with Veolia Environmental Services and green energy firm Living Fuels to collect used cooking oil, refine it and use it to power the national grid – a move that promised to shrink the region’s footprint and keep sewage systems clean. READ MORE HERE

10. Organic photovoltaic systems developed

Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. unveiled the world’s first organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar model in March. Other than sounding scientific and cool, the promise of a solar system that is cheaper to produce and easier to install is what really makes this move significant. Most PV cells use silicone and glass, while OPV systems use ultra-thin organic compounds for superior flexibility and “nanosize thickness.” READ MORE HERE

11. Japanese inventor turns plastic bags into oil

After being taxed, charged and banned all over the nation in 2011, plastic bags did appear in one positive headline after a Japanese inventor discovered a way to turn them into usable crude oil. The fuel, which can also be made from plastic bottles and caps, can be used for heating homes on an individual level (if you’re not too alarmed by the $10,000 price tag). READ MORE HERE

12. Greece goes solar to relieve debt

After facing an economic meltdown earlier in the year, the Greek government looked to solar energy in September to lift its debt crisis and jumpstart its lagging economy. Through “Project Helios,” the Mediterranean country could increase its solar output to 10 gigawatts by 2050 and pay back as much as $21 billion in debt, according to the European Union. READ MORE HERE

13. Wind-powered vehicle crosses Australia

The Wind Explorer finished its 18-day, 3,100-mile trek across Australia in February, setting several records – including first wind-powered vehicle to cross a continent. The German adventurers that created the vehicle, Stefan Simmerer and Dirk Gion, made it from Perth to Melbourne in a little more than two weeks – reaching a top speed of 55 mph. READ MORE HERE

14. Discovery could double PV solar efficiency

This month, chemistry professor Xiaoyang Zhu and his research team at the University of Texas at Austin made a discovery that could allow PV solar cells to double their efficiency. The organic plastic semiconductor discovered by the UT team could double the number of electrons harvested out of one photon of sunlight – which basically means twice the power. READ MORE HERE

15. Japan makes fuel from old bras

Two Japanese underwear manufacturers – Wacoal and Triumph International Japan Ltd. – are turning used skivvies into renewable energy. So far, the companies have collected enough used bras to make more than 32 tons of solid fuel for boilers and power generation facilities. READ MORE HERE

16. Tiny island powered by coconuts and sunshine

Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand that consists of three small atolls, went 100 percent renewable this year – powering itself with its two most plentiful resources: coconuts and sunshine. Under an energy plan announced in September, 93 percent of the islands’ power will come from solar energy, while coconut oil will supply the remaining 7 percent – proving that an alternatively-powered utopia is possible. READ MORE HERE

17. Coffee-powered car breaks world record

A coffee-powered car built by volunteers in Durham, England shattered Guinness World Records in September, speeding up to 66.5 mph. The car beat out last year’s record of 47.7 mph – which was set by a wood-burning car – for vehicles run on organic waste. READ MORE HERE

18. Facebook and Greenpeace become “friends”

Greenpeace and Facebook became “friends” in December of this year, ending a two-year feud that lead Greenpeace to openly criticize the social networking giant for using “dirty” energy to power its data centers. The two organizations will collaborate on future efforts to power data centers, and Facebook even paved its own way to renewable energy in November by installing a solar cogeneration system at its new headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. READ MORE HERE

19. High-speed Euro trains run on solar

High-speed trains running from Paris to Amsterdam got a boost of green in June when Infrabel, the company that runs Belgium’s railroad network, installed solar panels atop a 2.1-mile tunnel. The solar tunnel, which supplies power directly to trains as they pass through, is expected to produce 3,300 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. READ MORE HERE

20. Hawaiian steam turbine powered by 100 percent biofuel

Hawaiian Electric Co. announced in January that it successfully used 100 percent biofuel to power a steam turbine generator that normally uses petroleum. The test marked the first time a utility-scale steam unit had burned 100 percent biofuel at 100 percent of its 90-megawatt generating capacity. READ MORE HERE

21. Japan pledges solar for every new building

Japan was already at the forefront of the alternative energy scene going into 2011. But after the March earthquake and the events at the Fukushima nuclear facility, the nation began stepping up its commitment to renewables even more. At the G8 summit in June, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced a bold plan to mandate solar panels on every new building by 2030. Will it be successful? Only time will tell. READ MORE HERE

22. Offshore wind farm off Massachusetts coast approved

In April, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement approved a construction and operations plan for the Cape Wind project off the Massachusetts coast, clearing the way to for work to begin on America’s first offshore wind farm. While the project was slowed by controversy and red tape, construction is expected to begin next year. READ MORE HERE

23. Startup invents tiny solar cells

While most companies struggled to attract consumers to bulky PV cells in 2011, Durham, N.C.-based startup Semprius came up with a solution – a solar cell the size of a pen tip. Unveiled in December, the tiny cells are capable of converting 41 percent of solar energy to electricity – which could mean improved LED lighting performance, better hard drives or advanced sensors for medical devices. READ MORE HERE

24. France commits $10B to offshore wind

In February, the French government announced plans to commit €10 billion ($13.8 billion) for offshore wind development. While some saw the move as a shift away from solar energy, others relished in the promise of at least 3 gigawatts worth of clean power. READ MORE HERE

25. Light bulb powered by bacteria

Late this year, Dutch electronics company Philips began testing a futuristic lighting technology powered solely by recycled household waste and live bacterial culture. Part of the Microbial Home project – a science fiction-like vision of a household ecosystem utilizing bacteria – the light bulb uses no electricity, but the idea of inviting bacteria into the home may dissuade consumers. So, is this move gross or green? it’s up to you to decide. READ MORE HERE