Sierra Club Green Home

Sierra Club Green Home will ring in the new year with gratitude for what 2011 has given us and excitement for what the next year holds. Here, writer Roland Oehme shares the top 12 things he is grateful for going into 2012.

“Oil has become the one substance on which our very existence depends,” says Josh Tickell, director of the documentary Freedom. In this film, Tickell and his wife, Rebecca Harrell Tickell, take the audience on a journey where they discover the true cost of America’s oil dependency and the possibility of fuel freedom. (Photo sourced from Wiki Commons)

ShopGreen is a Web application program for shopping carts that allows customers to reduce the carbon footprint of their online purchases by funding carbon offset projects which includes wind and hydro energy, reforestation, and methane gas capture projects. This can make you feel good about even non-green purchases. (Screenshot from GreenWorldApps)

With expectations of one million electric vehicles (EVs) entering America’s roadways by 2016, the need to establish a sustainable EV infrastructure is immediate. General Electric and REC Solar partner up to boost the placement of more solar-powered EV charging stations across the country. (Photo courtesy of GE.com)

DALLAS — University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center recently added a solar carport. Solar carports both protect cars from the elements and generate electricity for nearby buildings. UT’s solar carport helps the campus reduce its energy bill, and also serves as a charging station for electric vehicles. (Photo courtesy of UT Southwestern Medical Center)

PHILIPPINES — Millions of people in the Philippines live in relative darkness. With the cost of electricity beyond the means of many, residents of poorer communities resort to using candles or kerosene lamps, which pose serious health and fire hazards. But, there is an incredibly simple solution that is both greener and safer. (Photo courtesy of ALiterofLight.org)

Japan is known for being high tech, and thanks to companies such as Panasonic, its high tech is going green. Take a look at Panasonic’s eco innovations for the smart home of the future and the smart city the company plans to complete by 2013. (Illustration courtesy of Panasonic)

One of the most exciting acquisitions Panasonic made when merging with SANYO is Kasai Green Energy Park, a massive testing site for large-scale, renewable power storage systems. It is what Panasonic sees as the answer to energy resources issues. Take a tour of the high-security facility.

As we scramble to get flights with a low fares this season, we also can choose airlines based on their environmental practices. About 2.8 billion people will fly this year, according to the International Air Transport Association’s predictions, so choosing airlines that make less of an environmental impact can have a big, positive impact overall. (Photo © TomBeattie | Dreamstime.com)

SAN FRANCISCO — As You Sow, a nonprofit, focuses on corporate accountability and environmental health to implement eco-conscious programs and socially responsible practices. It’s what the organization’s CEO calls a “win-win-win” for companies, consumers, and the planet. (Photo: Matthewdikmans)