Dallas, U.S.A. – With more than 500 exhibitors and a notable lineup of speakers, musicians and films, Earth Day Dallas ( EarthDayDallas.org ) brought more than 58,000 North Texans to Fair Park on April 21 and 22. For the second year in a row, the nonprofit organization hosted one of the nation’s largest Earth Day celebrations, inspiring individuals to be sustainable in the ways they think, work and live.

“Last year, we planted a seed in the minds of North Texans, and were thrilled to watch people latch onto the idea of every day environmentalism,” said Trammell S. Crow, founder of Earth Day Dallas, “This year, it was amazing to see the increase in participation, especially from exhibitors. In a time when other Earth Day festivals are downsizing, we were able to double the number of booths we had in 2011. From exhibitors to programming, we elevated every aspect of the event this year, making Earth Day Dallas a true Texas-sized celebration.”

To accommodate its growing presence, the festival moved from downtown Dallas to historic Fair Park, providing more than 600,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. At the core of the event, the Eco Expo included a wide range of exhibitions by corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, government groups, hospitals and universities, demonstrating conservation at every level.

Additionally, the festival featured a variety of engagement and entertainment for the whole family, including:

• Former first lady, Mrs. Laura W. Bush
• A book signing and lecture by world renowned theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku
• Live music performances by Amos Lee, Ponderosa, Diego Garcia and The Honey Brothers
• Film screenings including documentary Cafeteria Man and a farm-to-school discussion panel with the film’s star, chef Tony Geraci
• Picnic for the Planet, the Nature Conservancy’s attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous global picnic
• A 5K fun run, and much more!

Earth Day Dallas would not have been possible without the significant support from its 2012 partners including Walmart, KXAS-NBC-5, DART, Live Nation, SHFT, 1SolTech and many others.

With its foot firmly planted in Fair Park, Earth Day Dallas has already begun planning for next year’s event. For more information about Earth Day Dallas 2012 and updates on the 2013 event, visit EarthDayDallas.org.

Image Courtesy of   Earth Day Dallas

The article Earth Day Dallas: Texans Go Green appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Milwaukee, U.S.A. – In celebration of Earth Day, Johnson Controls, the global leader in delivering solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, released its Top Earth Day Champions list to highlight organizations saving the carbon equivalent of 45,000 acres of pine forests through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at their facilities.

Carbon emissions from building energy use are predicted to grow faster than any other sector in the next 25 years, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, making building efficiency critically important for the protection of the environment.

“These organizations have already made significant environmental improvements while at the same time attacking energy waste and reducing operational costs,” said Dave Myers, president of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency. “We recognize those who have committed to making their organizations more sustainable, their facilities more efficient, and their occupants more comfortable. Importantly, each one of these projects will also have strong financial paybacks.”

Here are the 2012 Top Earth Day Champions and the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide emissions they are saving annually through projects with Johnson Controls.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tenn. tops the list with its annual reduction of 49,135 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2008, ORNL replaced a natural gas steam plant with a wood gasification biomass system, reducing its carbon footprint and cutting fossil fuel consumption by 80 percent.

The Champions earned a spot on the list by making their facilities more efficient using a variety of measures, including: utilizing building management systems to optimize energy and operational efficiency, installing distributed generation and renewable energy technology, using more efficient lighting, and updating heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

Since January, 2000, Johnson Controls energy performance contracting projects have saved nearly 18 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to that saved by 3.5 million acres of pine forests, and generated savings of $6.5 billion in North America alone. With performance contracting, savings in energy consumption from facility upgrades pay for the project over the term of the contract.

If the savings are not realized, Johnson Controls pays the difference between the value of the measured and verified consumption and the guaranteed consumption under the contract.

The article Top Earth Day Champions in Reducing Carbon Emissions appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Washington, U.S.A. — As we approach Earth Day, it’s a good time to remember that energy efficiency can help “green” the planet while keeping more “green” in your wallet, says the Alliance to Save Energy.

Based on April data from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Alliance has calculated that the average U.S. household will spend about $2,100 on home energy this year.

“Consumers who experienced high winter heating bills and are already contending with spiraling gasoline prices are eager to spend less on home energy this spring and summer,” said Alliance President Kateri Callahan. “Energy efficiency not only significantly cuts home energy costs, it also increases indoor comfort.”

Top 10 [Simple Yet Effective] Home Energy Tips

To help U.S. consumers go green and save green, the Alliance offers this compilation of energy-saving tips:

The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, the economy, and national security.

The article Earth Day: Top 10 Home Energy Tips to Go Green and Save Money appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

What does it mean to be an environmentalist after the world has already ended? Go green! Go digital this Earth Day.

On Earth Day 2012 (Sunday, April 22), find out what the world would be like if environmentalists didn’t save the planet.

For 24 hours, from 12:01 AM to 11:59 PM, pick up the digital one-shot The Massive for free in our digital store. The new comic series by DMZ, Conan the Barbarian, and Northlanders writer Brian Wood will launch in June, but you can snag this lead-in to the series for free and see why you do not want to miss this incredible new story.

So head on over to the Dark Horse Digital store and download The Massive digital one-shot for FREE on Earth Day this Sunday.

Once you’ve read the one-shot and decided you need more, download the order form below, fill it out, and send it to your local comic shop retailer. Tell them loud and clear that you want to have The Massive placed in your pull box. Tell your local retailer that you’re ready to read the next big series.

1. Download the image below or the fillable PDF form.

2. Fill it out with your info.

3. E-mail, fax, or walk the form to your comic retailer and have them order The Massive for your pull box.

Want to know more about what Comics Media is saying about The Massive?

Dr. Apocalypse Examines: Massive Comics Legend Brian Wood - The Nerdist

“If you like comics, and don’t know the work of Brian Wood, you deserve to be gunned down in the war-torn Manhattan of his DMZ, battle-axed in his Viking epic Northlanders, and be forced to hear the lamentations of your women in his new reboot of Conan the Barbarian.”

Interview with Brian Wood: The Massive - Suvudu

“Wood has never shied away from asking tough questions about the price of civilization and the inevitability of change.”

Brian Wood’s “The Massive” Features Print Issue-Only Bonus Content - Comic Book Resources

“Readers of the printed, monthly version of Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson’s “The Massive” will be treated to content unseen in the digital releases or trade paperback collections.”

Read the First Chapter of The Massive - Io9

“We’ve been psyched for DMZ Author Brian Wood’s next big end-of-the-world project The Massive for a spell now.

The article Go Digital on Earth Day with Free Dark Horse Comic appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.