I can’t understand why someone would name a resort after the most annoying insect in the world but Richard Branson is planning to do just so. He proclaims the yet-to-be-built resort is going to be the most environmentally-friendly resort in the world and he certainly has the resources to make it happen.

Situated near his famous Necker Island, Mosquito Island is undeveloped at this time but plans call for an ultra-luxury resort where guests retreat to their private villas which are powered by wind and solar.

Story from the San Jose Mercury News

“Reuse” is a key component of keeping waste out of landfills and slowing down the production of new stuff. The official term for the industry that is reusing castoffs to create “new” versions is “Upcycling”. Think of it as a fancy word for turning $5 sweatshirts into $100 sweatshirts.

Story from MSNBC

In less than six months, Smart USA has managed to hand the keys to 10,000 new owners of the fortwo. I’m not sure about other metro areas, but I continue to see Smarts in the Phoenix area on a daily basis and with increasing frequency.

Whether for the relatively now price, style, gas prices, or environmental concerns, Smart has clearly found a nice little niche. Let’s hope the momentum continues.

Press release from Smart (pdf)

Rather than waiting for the feds to take any meaningful action, the California Air Resources Board is moving forward with a bold plan to cut emissions in the golden state. Old world industries are sure to bark in response to the new plan, but the young and nimble have a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of the new laws.

A major portion of the plan relies on cutting emissions from utilities and other large industrial polluters, while other components include requiring more efficient buildings, lower vehicle emissions, and sourcing power from clean sources.

Story from the New York Times

New York City may be putting fruits and veggies on 500 street corners, but Seattle is where the real action is for those pursuing a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. Whether drawn to its liberal politics or for jobs in the tech sector, Seattle vegetarians are part of an ever-expanding community of likeminded folks and a business community that is catering to their dietary demands.

Where else can you find a vegan doughnut shop, vegan grocery store, vegan-friendly bar, and even an ice cream shop?

Story from The Seattle Times

Angling to outmaneuver longtime nemesis BMW, Mercedes is preparing to roll out three diesel SUVs in the coming year and AutoblogGreen was lucky enough to score a drive at the media event in Vermont.

The article goes into great detail about each of the vehicles so I won’t rehash them here, but the most impressive part of the story is the mileage that these oversize kid carriers return. The R320 got 23 mpg, the GL320 turned in 24 mpg, and the mid-size ML320 surprised with 27 mpg on a short 20 mile test drive. On the 70 mile trip to the airport, the ML320 came in at 29.5 MPG! For the sake of comparison, a four cylinder Toyota Camry gets just 21 mpg in city driving and 31 on the highway.

Diesel prices are soaring along with unleaded, but with improved mileage, diesel clearly provides a better value.

Story from AutoblogGreen

In the half dozen or so times that I’ve been to New York City, I’ve always been intrigued by the number of people who purchase food from vendors on the street. It always smells great, but eating a hot dog from random cart seems a bit dicey to me. Evidently the carts (and other factors) are proving to be so popular that NYC is in the midst of an obesity crisis and looking to help make healthy options more readily available.

Beginning later this summer, a new brand of carts is going to be hitting street corners in the lower income neighborhoods of the city. Unlike their popular counterparts, the new version will only stock fruits and veggies.

Good idea of idealistic nonsense?

Story from the Chicago Tribune

Speaking in lovely Fresno, CA, senator McCain announced his proposed $300 million prize for the company that can come up with a new battery to revolutionize the auto industry. In order to qualify, the battery must be able to do the job at just 30 percent of current costs and “leapfrog” current technologies.

In addition, he proposes increasing fines for auto manufacturers who don’t meet mileage standards and providing the same manufacturers with a $5,000 tax credit for each zero emissions car they sell.

Story from the AP

Like oil for the past 100 years, water is going to be the new commodity that drives world markets and creates enormous opportunities for entrepreneurs in the coming decades. Getting an early jump on the action is Energy Recovery, a desalination device maker that plans to offer 14 million shares to the public in the $8 - $9 range.

Story from VentureBeat

As I’ve mentioned, I am back on a bike after a multi-year hiatus and it’s been great. This month I’ve logged about 500 miles and Saturday was the first time that someone has yelled out the car window questioning my manhood. One incident per month doesn’t seem so bad.

EcoWorldly has put together a list of 17 reasons why riding is a good idea. Here are the top five.

• Gas is expensive
• Bicycling burns 400-500 calories per hour, even at light effort
• Old bikes can be used to create new tools
• Builds social groups and community
• Bicycling may help break down economic dividers

Story from EcoWorldly