While it's amazing to consider that there's still a huge bloc of people bending over backwards to deny the reality of global warming, there sure are - and these people have most recently latched onto a throwaway line in the contrarian-statistics anthology Super Freakonomics to bolster their pollyanna worldview.

The world isn't warming, it's cooling, goes this argument. Just look at the (temperature) numbers. Ignore the ice sheets melting, the kids swimming at the North Pole, the weather patterns and dozens of other indicators and just look at the numbers.

Well, the Associated Press took the deniers at their word and just looked at the numbers. The news organization had two independent statisticians look at only the numbers involved in global temperatures over various periods of time, from nine to ten to eleven to thirty to 130 years, without telling them what the numbers represented. In other words, a blind study, to remove the influence of any bias on the parts of the humans examining the data.

The statisticians found an upward trend to the numbers in all cases - except if you start following the data exactly in 1998, one of the hottest years, if not the hottest year, ever, in which case you can get a small downward trend. But notably, starting in either 1997 or 1999 gives you an upward trend, i.e. warming. And to reiterate, neither of the statisticians found the ten-years-after-1998 aberration to contradict the overall pattern of upward movement in the numbers.

Though it will obviously take a while before the climate-change deniers come around, they're only hurting their own cause - because everything they spout about "cooling" trends is just a bunch of hot air.

In times like these, getting creative and innovative is a must. The bad economy and newfound concerns about long-term sustainability both require new kinds of thinking.

As it happens, Philadelphia will be the epicenter of such thinking, at least for a couple days, as the Global Creative Economy Convergence Summit rolls into town on October 5th and 6th at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

While the overall focus is dollar-oriented, there is a whole track at the conference dedicated to "Creative Sustainabillity," including topics like "21st Century Architecture," "Green Places and Spaces," "Go Green with Virtual Business Practices" and a case study - "The Sustainable Urban Science Center at Germantown Friends School." It was about these that I spoke with Kelly Lee, the President & CEO of Innovation Philadelphia, the local non-profit behind the event.

"We wanted to make a clear connection between creative industries and the green economy," she said. "So we thought it was important to have a track dedicated to sustainability isues."

It wasn't just her idea: "In 2006 [the previous time Innovation Philadelphia held such a conference] we had panels on design and we received very few proposals that had to do with sustainable design. We did have a couple and we put those speakers on a panel with other peoople talking about other types of design. Now we've received so many proposals its its gone from a very small part of the [creativity] conversation to its own conversation. There's so much activity in this area, and so much potential for growth."

Lee noted that there's a lot of buzz about "green jobs," but the conversation needs to be broadened: "Right now you have a lot of discussion centered around weatherization," which has "a skill level involved," but "we need to have deeper conversations about the green jobs revolution, to understand how this region can reposition itself to make the most of it, and also talk about how it pertains to technology - what are the technologies we will all be using?"

With attendees from all over and a speakers roster ranging from keynoters Elizabeth Gilbert ("Eat, Pray, Love") and Jane McGonigal (Director of Game Research and Development, Institute for the Future) to Rachel Zimmerman (InLiquid) and Michael Nutter (City of Philadelphia), there's a lot of creative ground that will be covered in the areas of architecture, engineering, urban planning, regional media and information technology."Having this conference," says Lee, "is something we think is critical not only be because we have the opportunity to showcase these [local] professionals but we have the opportunity to learn from what other people are doing."

While full registration may be a bit much for entrepreneurs and starving-artist types in the midst of this downturn, Lee stressed that there are 3 sessions that are free, open to the public, and there's also a "no-frills package" for $75 which gets you access to all the presentations and sessions but not to meals.

Find out more about the Summit here.

Daily News film critic Gary Thompson reviews a pair of 'green'-oriented documentaries today, and both get a B- in his book.

'No Impact Man,' featuring a guy who tries to go a year without leaving a carbon footprint, misses largely because the main character is too much of a wuss, according to Gary.

On the other hand, 'Fuel' is in many ways too aggressive, pushing foreign-oil conspiracies that take up too much time and attention. Gary calls it "about as plodding and stale as it can be for nearly an hour. Until it suddenly and miraculously becomes informative, leading to a lively second half."

That's when the movie starts looking into alternative fuel, specifically algae-based biofuel and its potential as a sustainable solution, helping to power a "Veggie Van," a plug-in hybrid that's touring the country.

If you want to get a close-up look at the "Algaeus," (the fancy name for the veggie van) head out to the U.Penn campus (specifically, 40th and Locust) at 5:00 today, where the van, along with "Fuel" director Josh Tickell and producer Rebecca Harrell, will be making an appearance as part of its road trip. They'll be showing clips from the movie as well as answering your questions.

Whatever the prospects for algae-based biofuel, it's still a ways away as a commodity, so Gary gives a nod to 'No Impact Man' by remarking that until we can solve our problems with cool alternative fuels, "maybe watching less crappy television and spending more times with your kids isn't such a bad idea."

In the name of cutting-edge eco-inqury. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer

So you’ve invited the neighborhood to your annual Labor Day barbecue this weekend. And you’re thinking about the 10,000 plastic plates and cups your guests will use during the char-broiled feast you plan to serve up.

And you’re thinking: “One minute through the lips, a lifetime in a landfill.”

And you’re thinking: There has to be a more environmentally kind way to feed your backyard revelers.

The people at the Solo Cup Company are thinking they have the answer. I’m not sure it’s the best one, but it’s a start.

Solo has a new line of disposable plates and cups, called Bare, that are compostable. There’s a caveat about that, which I’ll get to in a sec. But first let me say that the fun thing about Bare products is that they’re made, in part, from sugar cane. More specifically, they contain bagasse, the fibrous remains of sugar cane once all its juice has been extracted.

Which made me wonder: Could I eat Bare by Solo?

“The products meet the FDA standards for food contact, but they are not meant or recommended for human consumption,” explained Solo spokesman Tim Lindberg, who scored big points in my book by not laughing at the question.

Just to be sure, I took a bite of a Bare plate. Let’s just say: Ain’t enough barbecue sauce in the world would’ve made it tasty.

Anyway, the Bare products are guaranteed to be compostable – if they’re disposed of in a commercial-composting facility, where Lindberg says the plates and cups will degrade within 180 days.

It’s not that the stuff won’t degrade in some home compost piles, but the break-down isn’t guaranteed, said Lindberg, since personal compost piles obviously differ from household to household depending on myriad factors that Solo has no way to predict.

Fair enough.

So where’s the closest commercial compost facilities? I went to www.findacompster.com to find out.

Turns out the nearest place to the Daily News  is over ten miles away, in Royersford.

Which, if you’re an environmentally concerned party host, leaves you with a ridiculous question: Is it stupid to drive over 10 miles to throw away a cup?

I think we all know the answer to that one.

Like I said, Bare by Solo isn’t the perfect answer to the problem of disposing of party waste, but it’s an admirable start.

Just don’t eat the stuff.

If there's anyone who's qualified to publish his own Guide to Sustainable Living, it's Ed Begley, Jr., who's done just that in his new release from Clarkson Potter.

Begley, a well known TV and movie actor, has lately become the walking embodiment of "green living" thanks largely to his hit TV show "Living with Ed" and his earlier book "Living Like Ed." But he's no bandwagon-jumper: As he points out in our podcast interview, he's been on this case for close to 40 years. And while it's hip to mock Hollywood actors who have scads of money to throw at problems, Begley stresses that his money-saving / earth-saving tips are for everybody, not just the rich:

"In 1970," he says, "I didn't have a lot of dough, so I bought an electric car for $950, which saved me money right away in the price of fuel and maintenance - very low on that vehicle. I started recycling and composting - very inexpensive obviously - riding my bike more than I already did, taking public transportation more ... so then after a bit of time I could afford something that cost a little bit more - a solar oven, perhaps. I saved a little more money and I could afford a rain barrel to collect my rain water and pretty soon I could afford some good insulation, and I built and built. So all I say to people is, do it no differently than I did. I wasn't a big star in 1970 - I couldn't afford solar for 20 years.  ... Pick the low-hanging fruit first, do the cheap and easy stuff first, and you will save money. I sure did."

Asked about Philly specifically as an area to take advantage of things like solar power, Begley allowed that - a greater number of cloudy days notwithstanding - we may even have some advantages over his home state of California. "Believe it or not, the solar electric panels work better where it's sunny and cold. You just want the photons. If it's freezing cold out, those solar panels will work much better than they will here in hot southern California or anywheer in the southwest. When solar electric panels get hot they lose 15% of their efficiency, so if you have a cool and sunny part of the year, a sunny winter day when it's freezing out those solar panels are still gonna work great."

Begley's no blinkered cheerleader; after discussing a misstep where he overzealously installed a home wind turbine in an area that didn't get enough year-round wind, he cautioned: "Only do it if it makes financial sense. Do that [cheap and easy] stuff first. And nowadays those choices abound: energy-efficient lightbulbs; energy-saving thrermostat; weatherstripping around your doors and windows; bike-riding when weather and fitness permit - and I've ridden around Philadelphia, the beautiful Schuylkill river there, and those great river paths along it - it's just a great bike-riding city - taking public transportation if it's available to you, and it sure is in Philadelphia.

"Cheap and easy," he repeated."Home gardening, home composting, it's dirt cheap - do that stuff first and you will save money, I guarantee." While he advised saving it up for a rain barrel or solar oven, you might first want to put $23 toward Ed Begley, Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living and get the complete lowdown.

In the meantime, you can hear the full podcast here.

Young interns at Temple University's ITSRG office have put together a podcast on Greenworks Philadelphia.

If you're still trying to get your head around the Greenworks sustainability plan for Philadelphia, here's a podcast that looks at the pros and cons of different elements of it, explaining them pretty lucidly and in a lively, engaging format. Though it was created by Philly youth for Philly youth, I promise you'll be able to make sense of it at whatever age.

Kudos to the kids who did it! The podcast was created through a project at Temple University, Building Information Technology Skills (BITS), for urban youth. Here's a page from the Information Technology and Society Research Group , where the kids in question interned over the summer, that explains some of the process.

As of early August, it says "BITS Program participants are busy working on social media projects that depict the projects they have been working on this summer. Students are creating blogs, powerpoint presentations, podcasts, and slide shows related to many different environmental themes." This is one of those podcasts, and from a look at their various social media outlets (including @universitygreen) it looks like they've got a lot going on.

Earth to Philly was alerted to the project Ashley James, aka "@GreenGertrude," who oversaw the program. If you have eco-projects from your community that deserve attention, let E2P know via email, or on Twitter. Let's stay connected to the Earth as well as to each other!

Whose mess is this?

As our story in Thursday's Daily News made clear, City Councilman Bill Green is serious about cleaning up the dumpster situation on Philadelphia streets and sidewalks. He proposes a medallion system that would make it easier for a single city employee - rather than a hodgepodge of departments - to identify and fine those who misuse or overuse dumpsters on our urban passageways. So far the main opposition has been from the Chamber of Commerce.

John Jonik, one of the most vocal of Philly's community of "Dumpster Diver" artists - who really do get into trash receptacles if necessary to find castaway items for use in art (or around the home) - doesn't like the idea either, and volunteered to talk about it for this Dumpster Divers Dispatch.

It's not the easy identification of responsibility Jonik is against, but the doubling of city fees that seems to be the price tag for implementing the plan (e.g. the fee for a standard "two-yarder" would jump from $300 to $600). Back when Green first started pushing for this in late spring, Jonik immediately ran up the red flag, and he hasn't changed his tune in the waning days of summer.

"First of all,  I'm against the idea of 'user fees' for any public service whatsoever," he stipulates. "It's in the public interest to have dumpsters to keep the city cleaner and therefore the whole public should conttibute to that through their taxes. Whatever the public services cost determines how much taxes should be."

But more than the ideological friction, Jonik sees trouble in the practical effects of the change: "Any fee hike is going to encourage short dumping and discourage clean-ups of lots and abandoned houses and other projects. They'd be less inclined to do it. Maybe the big contractors don't care - the cost would be passed on to their customers and such - but I think you'll see a change in places that would ordinarily be cleaned out by community groups."

Having been to a couple of "clean-outs" where the Dumpster Divers got the word out and got massive amounts of (mostly useable or re-purpose-able) junk out of the way before the finer-grain trash and garbage had to be hauled out, I can see how those smaller-scale operations could be hit. But in terms of problems or benefits, it's not all black and white.

Notably, Jonik admits that an increase in "short dumping" could be good for his ilk, as more trash would be visible and available in, say, vacant lots. "Sure, there's that: I wouldn't have to climb into the dumpster," he says with a rueful chuckle. "But there are larger issues.  Even if this would benefit Dumpster Divers, in spite of that I still disagree with it."

Before you go shopping for a new TV, you may want to read my Gizmo column from today's Daily News, which may offer some insight into the real-world difference between, say, a set with an Energy Star sticker and one without. These tips could save you some money in the long run. And don't forget to turn down your Brightness level!

THE "CASH-for-clunkers" program has worked so well for the auto industry, some TV set producers are talking up a similar project for their industry. And after decades of delivering televisions that require lavish amounts of energy to light up and shine, makers are working hard to deliver new models that sip rather than slurp electricity - even if it means a little less brightness when you turn the set on.

It'd be great (but a lie) to say high-tech giants are doing all this out of the goodness of their hearts.

Noisy European and Japanese environmental organizations have been pushing the cause of responsible, "green" electronics for some time. It's been a major theme of product displays at the big tech trade shows in Berlin and Tokyo.

Now, in the more environmentally conscious age of Obama, the cause is picking up steam in the U.S., with local, state and national agencies pressing TV makers harder to do the right thing.

Read the rest of the column here.

With all the headlines about 'sexy' developments in electric cars (that may or may not get 230 MPG), wind farms and bamboo clothing, it's easy to overlook the granddaddy of green ideas, one that continues, under the radar, to carry a great deal of renewable weight: Solar.

After all, solar power has been around forever (at least as far as humans are concerned) and technologies to convert it to electricity date back more than half a century. Because of this, it's easy to lose sight of the steady progress occurring in this realm. But progress is certainly happening, as photovaltic and other systems are tweaked, refined and improved for greater output. In fact, we may be reaching a tipping point where solar energy collection quietly goes from wacky "eco" industry to a mainstream part of our lives.

Just this week in Califronia (natch) ESolar launched Sierra SunTower, the first operational solar tower energy plant in the United States: Hundreds of mirrors arrayed in a field follow the progress of the sun at such an angle as to reflect its rays into a tower in the middle of the field, boiling water into steam that travels through pipes to power a turbine and create electricity, as explained in this LA Times story. The facility will power 4,000 homes.

And across the country retailers and other businesses are rushing to install solar systems on their brick-and-mortar big boxes in order to "green" their operations (and, of course, their public profile). Wal-Mart, JC Penney, the Gap and FedEx Ground are some of the companies now in competition to be the sunniest businesses on the planet.

Meanwhile, here in Phillly, a new initiative could make residential solar panels as common as satellite dishes, front stoops and "Phillies World Champions" flags. The Philly Free Solar Program aims to outfit thousands of area homes with solar panels at virtually no cost to the homeowner. The ambitious plan put together by Green and Save (a philly.com Green partner) initially sought, by word of mouth, 100 applicants with flat roofs and good sun exposure. The pilot program filled slots so quickly that it's now expanding, up to 5,000 homes.

Green and Save president Charlie Szoradi (whom you may remember from this E2P post, and whom I remember from our days in Philly's Dumpster Divers) believes the time is right for solar to make a big splash, er, sunburst in our town. "For a long time," he explained yesterday, "people resisted the aesthetics of a big shiny panel on their roof. And the financing was not in place to make it appealing. But once those numbers start to work, and it becomes a reality, there's an actual pride in having the technology and that drives the appeal and changes the aesthetic value."

"When it comes to row homes," he continued, "its moot, because panels are only really seen by air as you approach the city. Now, I think it would be tremendous, from a public perception standpoint, to fly in to Philadelphia and see whole neighborhoods generating power  - that would be a great symbol of Philly truly becoming 'the greenest city in America.'"

»  More Let the sun shine: A solar Philly?