The Green Power Blog

The Dummy's Guide to Climate Change

Dave Graham — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:19:00 GMT

There is a beautifully written article on Eco Preservation Society on the basics of climate science. Much of the information on climate change out there isn't very simple and easy to understand. So here are some of the basics on what we know and what we don't know about climate change.

- The earth and the moon receive the same amount of solar radiation

- The average temperature on the earth is 15 deg C while it is -153 deg C on the moon. Why is this?

- The atmosphere of the earth is responsible for this temperature difference. What is the earth's atmosphere made of?

- 99% of the earth's atmosphere is composed of Nitrogen and Oxygen that do not have any impact on its temperature. Greenhouse gases, like CO2, make up the remaining 1% of the atmosphere and are the reason behind the warmer temperature experienced on earth

- While we know for a fact that greenhouse gases make the earth warmer and that human beings are causing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to increase, (the concentration of greenhouse gases has been increasing steadily since the start of the industrial revolution) what we aren't sure of is exactly how much of the warming is natural or not man-made. All the recent papers published by the scientific community places a high probability on the warming being man-made, but it isn't 100%

Why the electric car is a hoax

Rahul Chitrapu — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:29:00 GMT

Electric cars have been around since the mid 19th century. They enjoyed popularity until early twentieth century when advances in internal combustion engine technology made it possible for the average person to own a car that is far superior in every single way - cost, range, speed - save one.

Pundits claim that the electric car is environmentally friendly because it runs on electricity and not not fossil fuels. We should thus support the electric car even though it costs more and has less range and speed. But isn't a major percentage of electricity produced from fossil fuels like coal in North America? In the US, around 70% of electricity is generated from coal and natural gas.

So the electric car is essentially a coal powered car. The one main difference between the electric car and the traditional automobile is the release location of the emissions. With the electric car the emissions are released at the power plant where electricity is generated and not where the car is located.

The electric car is no better than the conventional automobile in terms of its eco-friendliness. Check out this interview of Vinod Khosla. He echoes the same point of view at the 28 minute mark.

UNFI to Utilize Green Power at New Texas Distribution Facility

Dave Graham — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:03:00 GMT

United Natural Foods Inc. (Nasdaq: UNFI), a leading national distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods and related products, has extended its commitment to utilizing renewable energy by purchasing 6,200 MWh (megawatt hours) of electricity and renewable energy from EcoElectrons Renewable Energy for its new Lancaster, TX distribution facility. The renewable energy purchase is expected to reduce carbon emissions at its Lancaster facility by approximately 4,500 metric tons, the equivalent of nearly 10,400 barrels of oil, and complements UNFI's effort to obtain LEED(R) (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for the 590,000 square foot facility. EcoElectrons Renewable Energy specializes in supplying green power to organizations through renewable energy credits.

The renewable energy purchased by UNFI is certified by Green-e Energy, a leading renewable energy certification program in the U.S. Green-e provides independent, third-party certification to ensure renewable energy meets strict environmental and consumer protection standards.

Lisa M. Madsen, UNFI's Director, Sustainability & Philanthropy, commented, "Throughout our organization we remain deeply committed to implementing environmentally sustainable practices. By successfully collaborating with EcoElectrons at ourLancaster facility, we're able to reinforce our long-term focus to reduce our ecological footprint by utilizing green power and technologies."

UNFI produces over 2 million kilowatt hours of clean energy annually through solar electric systems installed at its Rocklin, CAand Dayville, CT facilities. It also utilizes 100% Green Power in its Ridgefield, WA distribution facility and is also member of the EPA's Green Power Partnership. This voluntary program encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use.

"UNFI's purchase of renewable energy credits is a terrific complement to the organization's existing Green initiatives including on-site solar power generation," said Rahul Chitrapu, Chief Executive of EcoElectrons. "We are very excited about UNFI's renewable energy purchase and the standard it sets amongst companies thinking about a sustainability strategy."

UNFI joins a growing list of companies and organizations that are taking tangible action to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions from their electricity use. Electricity generated from renewable sources results in less environmental pollution, and displaces conventional fossil fuel sources like coal and natural gas from the electric grid. Currently, renewable energy accounts for only three percent of total electricity generation across U.S. UNFI's deployment of electricity generated from nearly emissions-free renewable sources avoids greenhouse gas emissions and serves to build the market for renewable energy, while increasing incentives for building new facilities.

UNFI's Lancaster, TX distribution center is currently scheduled to commence operations during September, 2010 and is strategically located 15 miles south of downtown Dallas at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 35. It will support UNFI customers and retailers throughout the Southwest including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas and Louisiana.

About United Natural Foods Inc.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (www.unfi.com) carries and distributes more than 60,000 products to more than 23,000 customer locations in the United States and Canada. The Company serves a wide variety of retail formats including conventional supermarket chains, natural product superstores, independent retail operators and the food service channel. United Natural Foods, Inc. was ranked by Forbes in 2005 as one of the "Best Managed Companies in America," ranked by Fortune in 2006 - 2010 as one of its "Most Admired Companies," winner of the Supermarket News 2008 Sustainability Excellence Award, and recognized by the Nutrition Business Journal for its 2009 Environment and Sustainability Award.

About EcoElectrons Renewable Energy

EcoElectrons helps organizations reduce their environmental footprint by supplying renewable electricity through Green-e certified Renewable Energy Credits. To learn more, visit www.ecoelectrons.com.

About Green-e Energy

Green-e, a non-profit, provides forward-thinking organizations with a simple, nationally recognized tool they can use to communicate their commitment to renewable energy to their customers and stakeholders. Green-e is the nation's leading independent consumer protection program for the sale of renewable energy in the retail market. To learn more, visit. www.green-e.org/

via PR Newswire

How imminent is peak oil?

Dave Graham — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:46:00 GMT

Peak oil is the point in time when global oil production reaches its maximum and enters into a permanent decline. The peak oil year of United States was 1970. It was accurately predicted by M. King Hubbert in 1956. According to Hubbert peak theory, the rate of oil production in any region tends to follow a bell-shaped curve.

While the peak oil year for the world as a whole is a matter of intense debate, there have been numerous predictions over the years. The two variables that make the peak oil year tough to estimate is demand for oil (effected by population growth and economic development of countries like India and China) and technological advances. For instance, Canada has the world's largest deposits of oil sands. Not all of it is accessible however. But technological advances increase the amount under human reach year after year.

Nevertheless, the predictions continue to roll out. A recent study by a German Military Think Tank leaked to the internet states that there is "some probability that peak oil will occur around the year 2010." If peak oil is in fact imminent, there will be very serious economic consequences - one other reason to support renewable energy.

Photo credit: adpowers

Seventh Generation Goes to Walmart

Kelly Smith — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Seventh Generation is the U.S.’s leading eco-friendly household products brand. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Seventh Generation has made a commitment to both green living and green business for the past twenty years. From making products without toxic chemicals to educating consumers about how their individual choices make a difference, Seventh Generation works hard to live up to its environmental mission each day.

Walmart has shifted its direction to be much more aware of its environmental impact. For the past five years, Walmart has focused their energies on reducing waste and energy consumption and on carrying more sustainable products. Walmart now insists on certain environmental ethics and standards from all of its suppliers. It seems like a natural transition that as Walmart tries to become more environmentally friendly and to offer more ecologically sound products to its consumers that it would want to carry one of the best eco brands.

For a long time, Seventh Generation avoided any association with the largest retailer in the world. But when Walmart began to incorporate sustainable business practices into their mission, Seventh Generation co-founder Jeffrey Hollender saw a way to make his products accessible to a wider audience and to potentially make a big difference in educating people about living in greater harmony with our planet.

Walmart has asked Seventh Generation, the Environmental Defense Fund, and others to help in their mission to become a model of green business practices. They are starting to screen the products they sell in order to avoid stocking items that contain harmful chemicals. They plan to gradually introduce Seventh Generation’s green household products to their stores, with a full offering available through Walmart.com this fall.

Phot via joshspoon

Why Does Green Power Cost More Than Conventional Power?

Kelly Smith — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:03:00 GMT

Most green electricity costs just a couple of cents more per kilowatt hour to produce than traditional energy, according to many sources. One advantage that green power has over fossil-fuel based energy sources is that most renewable sources are not subject to fluctuating fuel prices. It does not actually cost any money to get energy from the sun, the water, or the wind. The money is spent investing in the technology and infrastructure necessary to harness that energy efficiently and distribute it to power customers.

Some people are resistant to a switch to green power, because it involves a large investment up front, and we already have the existing infrastructure to produce energy in a conventional manner. However, many people are starting to see that the investment in green power is the investment in a premium product, the energy of the future. Climate change, oil spills, and coal mining disasters continue to remind us that the old way is not always the best way.

Some governments around the world are encouraging green power country-wide. In other places, it is up to people to choose for themselves. Individuals and businesses can easily purchase green power in a variety of ways. In the U.S, some utility companies offer the option of investing in more renewable energy sources. Power customers around the U.S. pay upwards of 0.2 cents extra per kilowatt hour to their utility company if they wish to participate in purchasing green power in addition to paying their usual utility bill.

Other people do not have the option of purchasing green power through their utility company, or perhaps they prefer to consider purchasing certified green energy through organizations such as Green-e, Eco Electrons, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership.

One advantage of purchasing green power and becoming a member of the Green Power Partnership is good publicity for businesses and organizations. For example, the U.S. EPA has just released this year’s top purchasers of renewable energy. According to a publicity email from the EPA, “The top 10 on the list are Intel Corporation, Kohl’s Department Stores, Whole Foods Market, City of Houston, Dell Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cisco Systems, Inc., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, U.S. Air Force, and the City of Dallas.” It might cost a little more money, but these sustainable businesses and localities are now seen as environmental leaders based on their commitment to green energy use.

Sustainable Business Tip: Get Green Recognition

Kelly Smith — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Lenovo, a computer company based in Hong Kong, has just gained recognition for their green business efforts by being chosen as one of 30 companies to be a member of a new Hong Kong and China corporate Sustainability Index. Energy efficiency, recycling, and carbon emissions have long been on the mind of Lenovo as they have continued to incorporate sustainable business practices into their global company. Such recognition makes environmentally aware consumers more likely to turn to companies such as Lenovo (or Dell or Hitachi) for their green technology needs.

Not all sustainable companies will be sought out for this kind of recognition and publicity. Many companies need to be proactive in sharing their green business practices in order to increase customer interest.

Purchasing green power that is Green-e certified is one way to get recognition for corporate sustainability. The US EPA’s Green Power Partnership is another organization that offers support and publicity to companies that wish to shrink their carbon footprint while boosting business. Green companies that are at the forefront of environmentally friendly business practices might even win Green Power Leadership Awards.

Businesses seeking a market share with green consumers should also consider launching promotional programs for Earth Day or Earth Month each April, detailing their eco-business practices on their websites, and coming up with innovative green products such as PepsiCo’s compostable SunChips bags. Continue to improve your business’s environmental policies while coming up with new ideas for getting publicity and gaining customer interest.

Get green powered and lower your energy costs

Rahul Chitrapu — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:01:00 GMT

Renewable Energy or Green Power is the solution to some major challenges like climate change, dependency on foreign oil and sustainable economic development thatface us today. Consumers have become sophisticated enough to realize this and they have started to support only those businesses that have sustainability built into their core values. Getting your organization green powered is thus not only the right thing to do but it makes sense from a business standpoint. Businesses are also realizing this as can be seen from the dramatic increase over the last few years in renewable energy purchases made specifically by commercial parties.

Due to deregulation of the electricity markets in select states, it is now possible for organizations in such states to run on green power while they cut down on energy costs. Our new whitepaper gives the reader some background on green power, its benefits to business and how an organization in deregulated electricity markets can go green while realizing energy savings at the same time.

Click here to download the whitepaper and learn how organizations can go green while realizing energy savings.

Solar Powered Plane Triumphs

Kelly Smith — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:00:00 GMT

A lightweight solar-powered plane set records for flying for 26 hours nonstop over Switzerland. The plane averaged a ground speed of 26 miles per hour and reached speeds as high as 78 miles per hour. The plane set records for the longest and highest flight by a solar plane, reaching over 28,000 feet above sea level.

The Solar Impulse plane used 12,000 solar panels to power propellers and four small electric engines. The plane charged during the day and used the stored power to continue to fly through the night. In theory, such a plane could stay aloft indefinitely. Its 208 foot wingspan equals that of a standard jetliner, but this mode of travel is not quite ready for consumer travel yet.

Retired Swiss fighter pilot Andre Borschberg squeezed into the vehicle’s tiny cockpit where he experienced both turbulence and subzero temperatures which caused his water to freeze and his iPod batteries to die. Despite these difficulties, Mr. Borschberg said, “I’ve been a pilot for 40 years now, but this flight has been the most incredible one of my flying career.”

Solar power is a renewable energy source which is growing in popularity worldwide as a source for green power for homes and businesses. Solar power has also been used experimentally to power some cars and commercially to power some boats. Swiss engineers have come up with a car, the Solartaxi, that uses both electricity and solar power to successfully travel on roads worldwide. Solar powered aircrafts are not nearly as common as other modes of transportation.

Project founders for the Solar Impulse airplane next hope to successfully fly a solar powered plane around the world.

Photo via Deutsche Bank AG

Green Shipping with UPS

Kelly Smith — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Demand for sustainable products and services worldwide continues to expand. Green businesses are thinking in new ways about how to protect the planet and satisfy their customers at the same time. UPS began a carbon neutral shipping program last fall to serve customers who wish to pay a little extra to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from shipping their packages. UPS was the first package delivery service to offer this kind of green shipping option.

This popular program has now expanded to UPS locations across the United States, online, and around the world. For only 75 cents, a customer can ship a package carbon free from the United States to any international location. Domestically, the optional surcharge is as low as five cents for customers to ship their packages without pollution or guilt. In 2010, customer purchases of offsets will go twice as far, since UPS will match their investments.

UPS currently purchases carbon offets from the Garcia River Forest Climate Action Project. This organization is overseen by The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund to ensure its validity as a provider of reliable carbon offsets. It is important for businesses and consumers to purchase offsets or renewable energy credits that are certified or verified. UPS also plans to support other offset projects worldwide.

Offering a simple and inexpensive way for customers to feel better about the sustainability of their purchases is an excellent idea for any business to increase business and improve customer satisfaction.

Photo via Justinls

Green Power Around the World

Kelly Smith — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:37:00 GMT

Purchase and production of green power are on the rise around the world. Government representatives from 170 countries came to December 2009’s Climate Conference in Copenhagen to discuss solutions to climate change. There are many new ideas and innovative technologies on the horizon, but energy efficiency and renewable energy remain an extremely important part of the solution. Different countries are taking different approaches to environmental responsibility. Some, like the UK, are making countrywide carbon dioxide emissions goals. Others, such as the United States, seem to be largely leaving the green power initiatives to individual communities, states, and businesses for now, while providing some government financial incentives to go green.

In the United States, about one-fourth of all utility companies offer individual consumers the option of purchasing green energy. Some states are much further along than others in terms of the opportunities for businesses and individuals to choose green power. In Wisconsin, a program called Focus on Energy has helped individuals and businesses to save $319 million dollars in energy costs in 2009 alone. Researchers in Ohio, North Carolina, and California have just recently been awarded big grants from the US Department of Energy to pursue innovative green electricity projects. Many northeastern US states such as Vermont are also working towards developing more sustainable energy sources. Voluntary programs such as the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership have also been successful in encouraging businesses and organizations to invest in renewable energy.

Canada is also working on voluntary carbon reductions. The province of British Columbia has decided to go carbon neutral. In addition to overhauling government waste, they will purchase renewable energy credits to offset their conventional electricity usage. Businesses in Canada are also taking the plunge. In the last few months, 184 green energy projects have been launched in Ontario, and 23 have taken off in British Columbia.

In Europe, many countries have more specific goals and regulations regarding carbon dioxide emissions. In the UK, a certain percentage of the power mix at each utility company must come from renewable sources. In Finland, 25.7% of their total power mix came from renewable sources in 2009. Portugal is striving to lead Europe in renewable energy production within the next few years.

France is an interesting case. Although almost none of its energy comes from renewable sources, it has the cleanest air in Europe since it uses 75 percent nuclear power. Nuclear power does not produce greenhouse gases, but it does have other environmental concerns such as the disposal of nuclear waste.

Around the world in Japan, sustainability efforts were lacking for a long time. Now part of the Japanese economic stimulus plan is to start investing in efforts to reduce climate change, such as investing in solar power installations and the production of electric cars. One problem is that emission reduction targets for businesses in Japan are only voluntary, and Japanese factories are big polluters.

Photo via Maggi_94

Climategate Scientists Cleared

Kelly Smith — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Seven months ago, the Climategate email scandal broke. Emails that described some statistical methods used with the climate data were made public. To many climate change skeptics, these emails seemed to bring the validity of some climate change research into question and suggest fraudulent or unscientific research methods.

Now an independent review panel has released their findings in this matter to the general public. This 160-page report does not find any problem with the scientists or the data that should cause anyone to question the validity of the climate change research conducted at the Climatic Research Unit of the University of East Anglia, or the data they contributed to reports made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The panel did find that researchers should be more open with the public when they receive requests for information, and they should make it more clear to the general public how they used the data to create various graphic organizers and climate predictions.

Climate change skeptics can no longer legitimately hold onto this scandal as a means to deny climate change.

Record heat waves on the East Coast of the US add to the list of recent extreme weather events that will become more common as carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increase.

Meanwhile, oil is still spilling and cleanup and containment efforts are still going on in the Gulf of Mexico months after an explosion caused oil to start spewing into the water at a rate of 60,000 barrels each day.

Now is not the time to make petty arguments about statistics. Now is the time to find alternatives to the dirty fossil fuels of the past. Investing in energy efficiency, purchasing renewable green power, and conserving conventional energy use are a good way to start turning to clean energy.

Photo via .Martin.

Great Green Grains

Kelly Smith — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

From gourmet cooking and artisan baking to making simple homecooked favorites, the recession and concerns about global environmental issues have conspired to raise interest in do-it-yourself cooking projects at home. Rather than driving a car to spend a lot of money at an expensive restaurant, people are learning the ropes in their own kitchens. Even the purchase of premium ingredients is cheaper than paying for someone else’s expertise.

Premium choices include organic ingredients. Choosing organic ingredients is better for the environment as well as for families. Children are especially susceptible to pesticides, which makes organics the obvious choice for many people.

Organic milk and organic produce may be closer to the forefront of people’s minds when they are shopping, but organic dry goods are also widely available at many groceries. Choosing a company that grows and processes organic foods is often making a choice to patronize a company that is concerned about environmental sustainability beyond just the issue of pesticide usage.

One such sustainable business is Great River Organic Milling, a company that has been working towards environmental sustainability for 25 years as they provide consumers with premium flours, hot cereals, and baking mixes. A US EPA Green Power Partner based in Wisconsin, Great River Organic Milling purchases Renewable Energy Credits to equal 100 percent of their conventional power usage while also working to minimize their carbon emissions.

Great River Organic Milling produces stoneground organic flours, which are better for people and the environment as well as being more flavorful than conventional white flours. Best of all, Great River Organic Milling products can now be found at some Sam’s Club locations, mainly in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Interested shoppers outside of the upper Midwest can also purchase Great River Organic Milling flours from Amazon.com.

"We don’t have a long-term plan for humanity."

Rahul Chitrapu — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:44:00 GMT

"We don't have a long-term plan for humanity," Ted Turner said during the 2010 Summit Series in DC. "Global warming is by far the most complex problem facing us today and we need to phase out fossil fuels...," Ted said. Check out the video.

Sustainable Business Tip: Consider the Source

Kelly Smith — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

In today’s economy, many of us are looking for ways to save money or get a better deal, both at home and in our businesses. Unfortunately, the cheapest choices are not always the best options for our planet. Doing business cheaply can neglect steep environmental costs. Fortunately, this is also a time when consumers are looking for both sustainability and value. Customers are more satisfied with green businesses. For many people, it is worth spending a little extra money to help protect the planet.

For this reason, it is important for sustainable businesses to manage their operations with the planet in mind each step of the way. This means more than just reducing, reusing, and recycling. Companies also need to consider where their physical resources are coming from. Wal-Mart operations are a good example of the need to consider the sources of both products and raw materials. Wal-Mart’s big sustainability push has made Wal-Mart consider the sources of their low-cost products to hold up under the scrutiny of environmentally conscious consumers. Wal-Mart now insists on high standards in labor and environmental practices in the factories they do business with. Chemical dumping and using rainforest wood are not acceptable, for example.

Another question green companies should ask themselves is where their services are coming from. Sustainable businesses should look for services such as green real estate companies, green printing presses, green catering, green IT, and green banking / investing firms whenever possible. Green utilities are even more important. Traditional electricity sources may be relatively cheap, but they have a much higher environmental cost. Purchasing green energy is a choice to purchase a premium product that is better for the environment and helps expand a green customer base.

Some even choose to take the search for green utilities even further by producing their own green power. The University of New Hampshire, for example, is now largely powered by a system that utilizes waste methane from a nearby landfill. This technology is now well enough established that many businesses and organizations could easily tap into this energy source considered to be renewable by the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership, provided they are located near a landfill.

With a little creative thinking, businesses and organizations can extend the sustainability of their operations to encompass both products and services from their source.

Green Web Hosting with Codero

Kelly Smith — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Codero offers web hosting services that are powered by 100 percent green power for small and medium-sized businesses. Anyone looking to fill their green IT needs should consider Codero, a sustainable business which is based in Kansas City and powered by wind farms in Iowa. An EPA Green Power Partner that purchases Green-e certified green electricity through EcoElectrons, Codero estimates that it offsets the annual conventional electricity usage of 1,255 homes.

Businesses that use Codero’s services get to use the Codero logo to show their customers that they are a sustainable business seeking to shrink their carbon footprint. Research shows that environmentally friendly companies increase customer satisfaction. There are many ways to become more environmentally sound in your business practices.

Becoming a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a good way to network with other businesses and organizations that are concerned about reducing their carbon footprint and fighting global climate change. It is also an excellent way to broaden your customer base. Choosing to patronize other Green Power Partners for your company’s needs, such as green IT services, boosts your eco-credibility.

Over 70 new organizations have decided to join the Green Power Partnership recently. Amherst College; the Indianapolis Zoo; the City of New Haven, Connecticut; the Baltimore Airport Hilton; Madison Computer Works; Biomass Thermal Energy Council; Dutch Mill Catering; and Ogden Publications are just a few of the new members spanning industries from green information technology to sustainable real estate to environmentally friendly health care.

Right Light for a Green Home

Rahul Chitrapu — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

This is a guest post by Kyle Mentz. Kyle is a content writer for Alluminare where you can find a large assortment of lighting fixtures to decorate your home.

A famous deity once said, “Let there be light”, and there was, and it was good. And frankly, it’s still good. The sun remains the most eco-friendly way to light your home, whether you choose to install windows and skylights throughout in order to illuminate your space, or if you decide to harness the sun’s energy for clean power to run an entire household. It doesn’t get any greener than using the one and only completely efficient, emission-free, natural form of lighting. However, there are some drawbacks. You may not have the funds to knock out walls or outfit your home with solar panels. Beyond that, a reliance on natural lighting could be difficult for people who live in cooler climates and don’t want to eat dinner in the dark in January. Luckily, there are a number of environmentally friendly lighting products on the market to give your home the luminescence you need to get you through the dark times.

The electric light bulb has been more or less the same since the birth of electricity, which is to say, incandescent. The problem with these bulbs is that they depend on a filament that heats up to produce a glow. Unfortunately, the process requires a lot of energy to begin and sustain. Enter the energy-efficient revolution. For a short period of time, it looked like halogen lights were going to be the wave of the future, using 20% less electricity, but certain drawbacks (fixture replacement, rampant heat production) quickly made them obsolete. Today, newer bulbs like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) are literally changing the way we see lighting. CFLs have become very popular in recent years due to the fact that they not only work in standard fixtures and produce a ton of light, but also use 60% less energy and last ten times as long as incandescent bulbs. Many also promise to repay their cost (several times over) throughout the life of the product.

LEDs (you may have heard of them…they’ve been telling digital time for awhile) are an even more recent development in home lighting. Some claim to use up to 90% less energy (than incandescents) and last as much as 60 times longer. That’s pretty amazing! Naysayers grumble that LED bulbs are too dim to illuminate a house, but new products continue to come out (in up to 100-watt varieties) in steadfast refute of this argument. The only real drawback with current LEDs is that you will probably have to get new fixtures to use them.

Or, you can always go back to the sun. If solar panels are a bit out of your price range, or you don’t dig the look, you may want to consider a sunlight-transport-device. They bring actual sunlight into your home by gathering the sun’s rays outside your structure, transferring them through fiber optic cables, and sending them to lamps throughout your home. Pretty ingenious, right? Well, during the day, anyway. They only transfer natural light, so when the sky goes dark, so does your luminary. But they are an interesting alternative to cutting a hole in your roof. There are also solar lights, and although they are generally considered outdoor lighting (often used to illuminate driveways, garden paths, etc.), there are portable models that can be charged during the day and then used in place of lamps for soft mood lighting in the evening. Floating models make them a safer bet than, say, floating candles (open flame may be eco-friendly, but it’s always a fire hazard).

Probably your best bet to illuminate your home in an eco-friendly manner is through a combination of some (or all) of the options listed above. Try to use natural light as much as you can (since it certainly carries the smallest price tag at a cost of free), install solar panels if you can afford the initial expenditure (over time, they can actually bring you an income if you have enough sunlight throughout the year to build up a surplus to sell back to the power company), and switch to energy-efficient lighting to cover any additional need. Could you use one last eco-friendly lighting tip? Here’s one your parents told you a million times: turn off the light when you leave a room. You’ll be surprised how much energy you’ll save through a simple flip of the switch.

Replacing the Power Grid with the BloomBox

Hudson DeWeese — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Originally the BloomBox, invented by K.R. Sridhar, was designed for NASA to take fuel and electricity to create oxygen by means of a fuel cell to be used on a mission to Mars. Once NASA canceled the mission Sridhar reversed the operation of his invention to use fuel and oxygen out of the atmosphere to create electricity. Sridhar aggressively predicts that the BloomBox will be implemented in every house in America in less the ten years and will effectively replace power plants.

BloomEnergy has reportedly raised $400 million to develop the BloomBox which has been implemented in companies like Google and EBay for over nine months. The companies that have been testing the BloomBox have had little and inexpensive maintenance costs. The effectiveness of the BloomBox has attracted investors like Kleiner Perkins who also funded Google when it was starting out. The BloomBox is getting much attention because of its small size, low noise output and efficiency. It is expected to cost an average U.S. home less than $3,000. It can run on various gasses including natural gas, methane from landfills, and biomass. Mass manufacturing does present a problem as BloomEnergy is only able to produce one BloomBox a day.

Bloombox also saves electricity that is being lost through transmission lines and the power grid. Transmission lines are the large electrical lines that carry electricity from the power plants to our homes. 6.5% of the total power in the U.S. is lost due to the transportation of electricity. If BloomBoxes are implemented in every house, this alone will save the 6.5% of electricity that is wasted annually.

The BloomBox is a revolutionary green energy development. If K.R. Sridhar can mass manufacture the product and drive the price down, the implementation of this device could be the next big thing. Click here to watch a 60 Minutes interview with K.R. Sridhar explaining the function of the BloomBox in more detail.

Afghanistan to Fuel Rechargeable Batteries

Kelly Smith — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Experts from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Pentagon, the U.S. State Department, and the Afghanistan Ministry of Mines have discovered a huge wealth of mineral deposits beneath the war-torn soils of Afghanistan. Minerals such as copper, iron, gold, aluminum, silver, and lithium have the potential to have an amazing impact on Afghanistan’s economy and infrastructure if they can be mined without corruption.

This is a big discovery on the worldwide renewable energy front as well, since lithium is used to make rechargeable batteries. Lithium ion batteries are the most popular rechargeable batteries on the market today since they are lightweight, don’t lose charge easily, don’t degrade in performance over time, and don’t cost a great deal more than standard batteries.

Rechargeable battery technology is an important aspect of green power because batteries are places where energy can be stored after it has been collected from a green energy source such as solar panels. Both fuel cells and rechargeable batteries are also important to the further development of electric car technology.

Electric cars need to plug into an electric power source to charge. Electric cars like the Chevrolet Volt can run for 40 miles on electricity alone without dipping into their gasoline reserves. If the Volt can’t be recharged after 40 miles of driving, it can still travel hundreds of miles on just one tank of gas. Using a car such as the Volt can seriously decrease the carbon footprint of individuals and businesses concerned about sustainability.

Electric cars are preferable to standard cars because electricity burned in a power plant, although it still creates emissions, is much cleaner than the internal combustion engine in a gasoline car. An even more planet-friendly solution would be electric cars powered exclusively by green electricity from renewable energy sources. That is the green transportation of the future, and rechargeable batteries are a step in the right direction.

10 Sustainable Tips for Home and Business

Kelly Smith — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

I picked up a copy of a free Home Depot publication called “The Green Guide” when I wandered into Home Depot last week in search of low-VOC paint and recycled cardboard moving boxes for my upcoming move.

Inside the guide, Home Depot recommends ten ways to reduce energy and water consumption at home. These green home improvement ideas, which range from the most simple to more advanced, will also save consumers some money with a few easy purchases from the Home Depot or from other home improvement suppliers that carry green building supplies.

These same ideas can also be easily applied in the process of creating a sustainable business with eco-friendly office space.

1. Replace standard incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent. Home Depot sells packs of Energy Star certified CFL bulbs for cheaper than many other retailers. Using fluorescent bulbs is an easy step towards reducing your carbon footprint.

2. Change the filters in your heating and cooling system regularly to help it run more efficiently. Look at the filter packages to see the recommended life of the filters you buy. Some are one month filters, others are three month filters. Home Depot also sells air filters which can be rinsed out and reused to reduce waste.

3. Install a programmable thermostat which you can program to keep the air cooler at times when you are home but raise the temperature when there is nobody in the house or office to enjoy the air conditioning.

4. Toilets use more water than almost anything else in the home. Purchase high efficiency toilets, which use less water.

5. Make sure that your attic is insulated and the cracks around your doors and windows are sealed so that you are not pumping that expensive heating or air conditioning to the outside.

6. When you need new appliances, look for Energy Star appliances, which use less energy than conventional models.

7. Use a Kill-A-Watt device to detect energy that is being used by appliances that are plugged in but are not in use.

8. Insulate old water heaters to prevent heat loss.

9. If it is time to replace your water heater, be sure to choose a new Energy Star model.

10. Install your own green power sources. Look for tax credits for solar panels and wind generators. The U.S. government is also offering tax credits for extra efficient windows and doors.

Photo via Cthoyes

Can global dimming fix global warming?

Hudson DeWeese — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The particles released into the atmosphere from aerosols and planes are actually reflecting sunlight back into space which is found to have the effect of cooling the earth. During the three days that followed September 11^th, 2001, it was noticed that the average daytime temperature increased by 1.8°F, which proves the significance of what is called global dimming. Some believe that global dimming can be used to as a geoengineering technique to reduce the impact of global warming when in reality it is a cheap and temporary fix to combat global warming.

The full temperature effects of global dimming are not yet fully understood due to the challenge of recording the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere. Regions that are downwind from major sources of air pollution have generally cooled, which makes global dimming intriguing. This may also explain why the eastern United States is cooling compared to the warming western part.

Aerosols generally have a life of one week until they get collected by rain and fall to the earth's surface. While in the atmosphere, aerosols have a cooling effect by reflecting sunlight back into space while during the nighttime it actually prevents the earth from cooling by trapping the heat in. It has also been noticed that aerosols can decrease rain fall which interferes with the hydrological cycle. In general, most techniques of temporarily cooling the earth's atmosphere have a cooling effect in some regions but a heating effect in others giving no overall change in the earth's climate. For example, volcanic ash has been shown to cool down the atmosphere in a similar way aerosols do, but once the ash settles it absorbs sunlight which in return heats the atmosphere.

The use of green energy reduces the amount of sulfides and CO₂ in the atmosphere which has a direct relationship to global warming, which as a result is cooling the earth. Where global dimming is just masking these effects for a temporary amount of time and has yet to be proven effective past regional effects. Although green energy doesn't have an immediate effect on the climate like a volcanic eruption does, there is proof that green energy works with no repercussions of having the earth warm in any other areas.

Understanding solar power

Rahul Chitrapu — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:51:00 GMT

This is a guest post by Barbara Young. Barbara writes on motorhome solar power in her personal hobby web site 12voltsolarpanels.net. Her efforts are dedicated to helping people save energy using solar energy to lower CO2 emissions and energy dependency.

What is solar power ?

Solar energy is radiant energy that's produced by the sun. Daily the sun radiates, or sends out, an immense quantity of energy. The sun radiates more energy in one second than people have used since the beginning of time!

The energy of the Sun derives from within the sun itself. Like other stars, the sun is mostly a big ball of gases--mostly hydrogen and helium atoms.

The hydrogen atoms in the sun's core combine to form helium and generate energy in a process called nuclear fusion.

During nuclear fusion, the sun's extremely high pressure and temperature cause hydrogen atoms to come apart and their nuclei (the central cores of the atoms) to fuse or combine. Four hydrogen nuclei fuse to become one helium atom. But the helium atom contains less mass compared to four hydrogen atoms that fused. Some matter is lost during nuclear fusion. The lost matter is emitted into space as radiant energy.

It requires an incredible number of years for the energy in the sun's core to make its way to the solar surface, after which just a little over eight minutes to travel the 93 million miles to earth. The solar energy travels to the earth at a speed of 186,000 miles per second, the speed of sunshine.

Only a small part of the power radiated from the sun into space strikes the earth, one part in two billion. Yet this volume of energy is enormous. Each day enough energy strikes america to supply the nation's energy needs for one and a half years!

Where does all of this energy go?

About 15 percent of the sun's energy which hits the earth is reflected back into space. Another 30 percent is used to evaporate water, which, lifted into the atmosphere, produces rainfall. Solar energy is also absorbed by plants, the land, and the oceans. The remaining could be employed to supply our energy needs.

Who invented solar energy ?

People have harnessed solar technology for hundreds of years. As early as the 7th century B.C., people used simple magnifying glasses to concentrate the light of the sun into beams so hot they'd cause wood to catch fire. More than a century ago in France, a scientist used heat from a solar collector to create steam to drive a steam engine. At first of this century, scientists and engineers began researching ways to use solar power in earnest. One important development was obviously a remarkably efficient solar boiler introduced by Charles Greeley Abbott, a united states astrophysicist, in 1936.

The solar water heater gained popularity at this time in Florida, California, and the Southwest. The industry started in the early 1920s and was in full swing just before World War II. This growth lasted prior to the mid-1950s when low-cost natural gas became the primary fuel for heating American homes.

People and world governments remained largely indifferent to the possibilities of solar power prior to the oil shortages of the1970s. Today, people use solar technology to heat buildings and water and also to generate electricity.

How we use solar power today ?

Solar power can be used in a variety of ways, of course. There are 2 simple kinds of solar energy:

Solar thermal energy collects the sun's warmth through 1 of 2 means: in water or in an anti-freeze (glycol) mixture.
Solar photovoltaic energy converts the sun's radiation to usable electricity.

Let us discuss the five most practical and popular solutions solar energy is employed:

Small portable solar photovoltaic systems. We see these used everywhere, from calculators to solar garden products. Portable units can be used for everything from RV appliances while single panel systems can be used traffic signs and remote monitoring stations.
Solar pool heating. Running water in direct circulation systems via a solar collector is an extremely practical way to heat water for your pool or hot tub.
Thermal glycol energy to heat water. In this method (indirect circulation), glycol is heated by the sun's rays and the heat is then transferred to water in a hot water tank. This process of collecting the sun's energy is much more practical now than ever before. In areas as far north as Edmonton, Alberta, solar thermal to heat water is economically sound. It can pay for itself in 3 years or less.
Integrating solar photovoltaic energy into your home or business power. In most parts on the planet, solar photovoltaics is an economically feasible solution to supplement the power of your own home. In Japan, photovoltaics are competitive with other types of power. In the USA, new incentive programs make this form of solar power ever more viable in many states. An increasingly popular and practical way of integrating solar energy into the power of your home or business is through the use of building integrated solar photovoltaics.
Large independent photovoltaic systems. When you have enough sun power at your site, you may be able to go off grid. You may also integrate or hybridize your solar power system with wind power or other types of sustainable energy to stay 'off the grid.'

How can Photovoltaic panels work ?

Silicon is mounted beneath non-reflective glass to produce photovoltaic panels. These panels collect photons from the sun, converting them into DC electrical power. The power created then flows into an inverter. The inverter transforms the power into basic voltage and AC electricity.

Solar cells are prepared with particular materials called semiconductors such as silicon, which is presently the most generally used. When light hits the Photovoltaic cell, a specific share of it is absorbed inside the semiconductor material. This means that the energy of the absorbed light is given to the semiconductor.

The energy unfastens the electrons, permitting them to run freely. Solar cells also have more than one electric fields that act to compel electrons unfastened by light absorption to flow in a specific direction. This flow of electrons is a current, and by introducing metal links on the top and bottom of the -Photovoltaic cell, the current can be drawn to use it externally.

Do you know the pros and cons of solar technology ?

Solar Pro Arguments

Heating our homes with oil or natural gas or using electricity from power plants running with coal and oil is a cause of global warming and climate disruption. Solar power, on the contrary, is clean and environmentally-friendly.
Solar hot-water heaters require little maintenance, and their initial investment can be recovered in just a relatively limited time.
Solar hot-water heaters can work in nearly every climate, even just in very cold ones. Simply choose the right system for your climate: drainback, thermosyphon, batch-ICS, etc.
Maintenance costs of solar powered systems are minimal and the warranties large.
Financial incentives (USA, Canada, European states...) can reduce the price of the initial investment in solar technologies. The U.S. government, for instance, offers tax credits for solar systems certified by by the SRCC (Solar Rating and Certification Corporation), which amount to 30 percent of the investment (2009-2016 period).

Solar Cons Arguments

The initial investment in Solar Water heaters or in Solar PV Electric Systems is higher than that required by conventional electric and gas heaters systems.
The payback period of solar PV-electric systems is high, as well as those of solar space heating or solar cooling (only the solar hot water heating payback is short or relatively short).
Solar water heating do not support a direct combination with radiators (including baseboard ones).
Some air conditioning (solar space heating and the solar cooling systems) are expensive, and rather untested technologies: solar air-con isn't, till now, a truly economical option.
The efficiency of solar powered systems is rather determined by sunlight resources. It's in colder climates, where heating or electricity needs are higher, that the efficiency is smaller.

Virginia Attorney General Attacks Climate Scientist

Kelly Smith — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

The new attorney general in the state of Virginia is out to get scientists who have studied climate change using state tax dollars under the 2002 Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act. He alleges that research dollars used to study what he considers to be a false science have been spent in a fraudulent manner.

Former University of Virginia professor Michael Mann is being subpoenaed in regards to five university research grants. Mann, who now works at Penn State University, has drawn ire from the climate-change skeptic Cucinelli for being a “leading proponent of the theory” and using state money to further his research.

Cucinelli is a leading climate change skeptic who has gone so far as to sue the federal government over greenhouse gas regulations. Cucinelli is not the first person to target Mann and his scientific research.

According to a recent Washington Post article, Dr. Mann is one of the scientists who helped create a graph compiling different types of data to show a large recent change in the Earth’s climate. One of his emails to a professor in the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit was involved in the Climategate leak. In this email, Mann referred to a mathematical trick he used while creating his model, which climate change skeptics jumped all over as evidence of fraud.

Mann insists that “the email was taken out of context,” and he feels that he is being targeted solely as a means for fueling further skepticism of climate science. Penn State investigations have shown that they cannot find any evidence that Mann has been dishonest in his research.

Many people are concerned about Cucinelli’s attack on Mann. If the lawsuit is successful, it will likely set a legal precedent that is a danger to academic freedom in general and the study of climate change specifically.

Sustainable Business Tip: Embrace Clean Energy

Kelly Smith — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Forty-five days after the deadly explosion at BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig, oil continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico. Attempts to stop the flow of the oil continue to fail. Coastal economies and ecologies are at great risk, and people working to clean up the oil spill are getting sick. Despite BP's continued apologies and assurances that the end is in sight, some experts are now saying that the oil will continue to flow for many more months, perhaps even until December.

This is unacceptable. Many failures led to this disaster in the first place, and it is so frustrating for us all to sit around watching the lack of a successful response in the wake of this tragedy. However, quibbling about regulatory agencies or emergency plans does not solve the underlying problem. Our excessive reliance on fossil fuels will continue to cause problems until we can wean ourselves from this unhealthy energy source.

President Obama promised on Wednesday that "The next generation will not be held hostage to energy sources from the last century." Indeed, clean, green energy is the power of the future. So why did the Minerals Management Service grant a new drilling permit for offshore Louisiana later in the day on Wednesday?

In the wake of mining disasters and oil spills and effects of global climate change, now is absolutely the time for all of us to get serious about renewable energy. All businesses and organizations that are serious about the environment need to take immediate action to conserve energy and invest in our clean energy future.

Yes, this includes oil companies, and it includes BP. We hear the apologies, but being sorry means acting sorry, too. I'd like to see BP match their oil spill cleanup expenditures with investment in green energy technology and purchases of green electricity. I'd like too see BP live up to their advertising slogan, Beyond Petroleum.

Travel Paris by Bike

Kelly Smith — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Residents of Paris, and visitors as well, have a fleet of 20,000 bicycles at their disposal to travel the city in a more eco-friendly fashion. Mayor Bertrand Delanoe plans to build new bike paths from the city into the suburbs, to build a thousand new bike parking spots, and to allow two-way bike traffic on one-way streets in order to encourage even more biking in Paris.

The Velib rental bike program was launched in July 2007 as a way to reduce traffic in the city and to provide a more environmentally friendly mode of transportation than even the Metro offers. The program is funded by advertisers, who pay for the bikes in exchange for billboard use in the city. The system is easy enough for bicyclists to use. A weekly pass costs about $7. All rides less than 30 minutes are free, so many people are able to travel around the city without any cost at all.

Bike transportation is an excellent way to reduce gasoline usage and thus shrink carbon footprints. Many large cities have trouble with traffic and related air pollution. Many countries such as Barcelona, Geneva, Montreal, Shanghai, and Stockholm offer similar bike rental systems. Other bike sharing programs, such as in Cambridge, UK, and Edmonton, Alberta, have failed due to vandalism and theft.

Bike sharing programs have a much stronger presence in Europe compared to North America. However, cities such as Ottowa, Boulder, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Chicago, and Seattle are considering similar programs. Green tourists and green commuters who already enjoy car share schemes can look forward to even lower impact travel if these plans materialize.