| Scientists at Texas A&M are part of "Project | | | | overgrowth. The company consists of Bob Rich and |
| Greenvac". Flu vaccines are usually made by growing | | | | his family, who are bug collectors in Missoula, Montana. |
| viruses in millions of fertile chicken eggs and then killing | | | | Specific bugs eat specific weeds not native to a |
| the viruses to make vaccines. Now tobacco plants are | | | | particular region, preventing the weeds from |
| being used. After a flu virus gene is put into a | | | | overpowering native vegetation. The bugs are |
| bacterium and a tobacco plant is infected with the | | | | collected with nets, put into pillowcases and |
| bacterium, the plant produces a protein to fight the | | | | refrigerated to slow their movements. This makes |
| virus. When the protein is extracted from the crushed | | | | them easier to identify and separate into groups of |
| tobacco leaves, it's ready to use for vaccine. Tobacco | | | | about 100. Then the bugs are put into pint ice cream |
| is being used to "smoke out" a faster, more efficient, | | | | containers for shipping in insulated boxes to keep them |
| green vaccine. | | | | cool. When the bugs reach their destinations, they |
| Environmentalists are recommending green diapers. | | | | "warm up" to their task. |
| Because approximately 50 million diapers go into U.S. | | | | U.S. airlines, however, need to be greener. They |
| landfills every day - about 18 billion a year - cloth | | | | recycle only a fraction of passenger trash. According |
| diapers are the best solution. They're cheaper and | | | | to a 2010 report by the nonprofit, environmental group |
| reusable. Then there are hybrid diapers. The outer part | | | | "Green America", each passenger leaves an average |
| is made of cloth and the disposable insert is made of | | | | of 1.3 pounds of trash. Although 75% of that is |
| absorbent wood pulp and polyacrylate, making it | | | | recyclable, only 20% is recycled. In fact, U.S. airlines |
| biodegradable. These are slightly more expensive than | | | | throw away enough aluminum cans yearly to build 58 |
| regular disposable diapers, but chlorine bleach isn't used | | | | Boeing 747's. Green America's best grade for |
| in their manufacturing - which emits toxins into the air | | | | recycling (B-) went to Delta and Virgin America, while |
| and water. Considering the average baby uses | | | | United and US Airways got F's. With all the other |
| 5,000-8,000 diapers, diaper choice is a | | | | airlines getting grades in between those, the success |
| "from-the-bottom-up" approach to being greener. | | | | of airline recycling is "up in the air". |
| Weedbusters Biocontrol is a green solution for plant | | | | |