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Archive for February, 2010

ARPA-E, a federal effort to lead ‘green’ technology (Los Angeles Times)

An energy research agency applies the same theory that led to the invention of the Internet: that government funding churns out radical innovations. Director Arun Majumdar talks about the challenges. Half a century ago, after the Soviet Union jolted Americans by sending Sputnik into orbit, the Defense Department launched a little-noticed program designed to help the United States leapfrog the …

Using American Wind Energy Is The Hope Of The Cutting Polluion In The Country

February 28th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

 

It has been estimated that throughout the past 25 years in the United States the carbon emissions has a risen at a rate of around 0.8% per year. As a portion this might not seem very much. Still this would total to millions of tons of carbon emissions and it is due to this reason that American wind energy was introduced with the trust of reducing pollution made by power generation in the nation.

In the United States in 2008 the total of wind energy installed exceeded 8500 MW. Hence american wind energy has been more and more powerful. However most green radicals claim that this rate of development in american wind power is dissatisfactory and lobbies for broader use of sustainable green energy.

In the road to gain wind energy, the government had to face many obstacles. First of course is the matter regarding the expenses. Installing alternative wind power is comparatively expensive. Thus american wind energy tends to be quite costly and this has been one of the greatest obstructions. The fact that birds tend to fly into the rotor blades has made another problem. Transporting the essential equipment has also been an issue as the suitable regions tends to be quite far. The equipment also takes up a substantial area. If american alternative wind power is to expand further solutions would have to be found to these problems. At least for some of these problems, technological developments and advancements can offer answers.

One of the added advantages of american wind energy is that it has lead to increase in work chances in rural far areas where employment is hard to find. Farmers can gain their incomes leasing the land and harvests could be grown around the turbine, up to its very base. Hence american wind energy may have been a god sent opportunity to develop and transfer rural America.

Use of wind energy does not needfully have to be at the national or state level. You can now enjoy the benefits of american wind energy through the use of a small wind machine which could issue sufficient electricity to meet the needs of a house. There are many companies now involved in generating wind energy as wind energy as become a profitable business. The future for american wind energy does look quite great.

Renewable, sustainable forms of energy is a key factor in creating a better potential for our planet. Everyone interested should support initiatives like american wind energy and do their part in paving the way for a greener America.

Greater Pocono Chamber sponsors ‘green’ business expo (Pocono Record)

The Greater Pocono Chamber of Commerce Business Expo 2010 will be going green and is inviting all exhibitors to go green, too.

Do It Yourself Solar – Everyone Can, Everyone Should!

February 27th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

Considering recent history and approximately the last 100 years or so, no time has held more advantages for the homeowner than right now for construction and benefiting from do it yourself solar systems.  Due to the absolutely ludicrous and continually increasing power and energy prices, the possibilities for do it yourself solar projects stand out as some of the most logical and convenient ways for utility bill overburdened homeowners to follow during their efforts to save on their monthly bills.  Today, as we speak, is definitely an excellent time for saving money by building and adding photovoltaic solar panels to produce electricity and also installing solar collectors for the production of home solar hot water.  We’re talking about exceptional savings that can even free you completely from the utility company with very little effort on your part so be sure to read on.

Here’s a super DIY home do it yourself solar article, click the following link to check out Do It Yourself Solar At Home.

The two most costly parts of your monthly bill for utilities are most certainly the electrical and home hot water areas of your energy use.  They are also two of the easiest areas to address with do it yourself solar systems that you can easily design and build yourself in a very short time frame – and the best news is that it won’t cost much at all and you won’t be overwhelmed by commercial products and their high prices!  The technologies for gathering sunlight’s electrical and solar thermal energy are well known and well proven.  Some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary engineering have worked tirelessly on creating outstanding do it yourself solar guides for you, the homeowner.

It’s been years in the making, but now you have the benefit of excellent, easy-to-understand do it yourself solar instructions that show you right down to the last little detail how to design, build and benefit from your own high-quality solar equipment that you can easily build yourself for very little money and in very little time.  The methodology used is extremely user-friendly and it guides you in economical ways that won’t deplete your life’s savings.  These days, the costs of do it yourself solar projects are extremely advantageous to the DIY homeowner and your well-written solar project guide tells you in comprehensive and logical terms what to do, how to do it and exactly where to find the materials you’ll be using to create your fun and money-saving home solar project.

To see an excellent article on home do it yourself solar, be sure to see Save Money With Do It Yourself Solar Systems.

What’s the level of difficulty of this do it yourself solar project going to be for you, the average DIY homeowner, can you really do it?  It’s no problem at all for anyone of even average intelligence and skill level since you are simply following logical, well-laid out instructions in your DIY guide.  If you can follow a kitchen recipe or use a hand saw to cut a small board, you can easily save money when you build your own solar residential system.  This is the reason that so many homeowners just like you have seen the light and have started and completed exceptional, money-saving home do it yourself solar solutions.  Each of these construction efforts have been performed by DIY homeowners who needed the use of the simplest hand tools found in almost every home in the country, the overwhelming desire and necessity to save themselves money, along with an excellent, easy-to-follow technical DIY guide written just for do it yourself solar at home.

If you thought you would have to worry about highly technical and difficult building practices, forget about that right now.  A lot of beneficial construction information is available to you on how to complete your do it yourself solar photovoltaic panels to produce electricity and also how to easily build solar heat collection panels for the heating of your home’s water – also included in the DIY guides is information on how to perform simple plumbing and wiring connections in order to connect the small number of major components in your home solar system with tools that undoubtedly are probably already in your home.  Before you know it, you’ll be using your simple tools to create a very efficient and money saving home solar energy system.  The material types you’ll be using are invariably the same ones you see used in the construction of homes everywhere, so there won’t be any special materials or associated costs to go with them.

Interestingly enough, many folks who get started on the simple, economical do it yourself solar projects to furnish electricity for indoor lighting and to provide hot water for household use find that there are other areas where solar residential projects can be of great value in saving money every month.  Solar electricity for outdoor lighting and even the production of surplus electricity to sell back to the utility company are popular endeavors.  If you own a pool, you’ll be glad to know that you can also heat your pool’s water with your do it yourself solar efforts and your swimming season will be greatly extended – this any many other home solar projects are just an extension of your original ideas to save money around the house by catching the sun’s rays and converting them into electricity and heat for your home’s water.

You won’t want to miss out on all the benefits that are contained in the professional DIY solar and wind guides that are available to you.  Before you know it, you’ll be rapidly designing, and building your own personal do it yourself solar projects.  You’ll feel great knowing that you’re saving money each month because you built your own solar home project and it will be providing free power and also incredible savings for the rest of your life.  Do it yourself solar – it’s here to stay and now’s the time to complete your own money-saving projects!

To find more useful information on home do it yourself solar systems, see: Home Do It Yourself Solar Systems.

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Japanese Whaler Rams Anti-Whaling Boat as Whale Wars Ignite

February 27th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

Payday Loans Won’t put it Back Together Again

“He piled upon the whale’s white hump the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down; and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell upon it.” – Herman Melville, “Moby Dick”

Whaling is an ancient practice that most of the modern world views with abject horror. Sure, it may provide employment and a large number of export products (making payday loans unnecessary for the beneficiaries), but the dangers of excessive hunting and the resulting legacy of blood are too hard for many to ignore. Japan is one of the few nations that still permit whaling, its ships hunting whales “for research purposes and the sale of surplus meat” in the Antarctic. They harvest in excess of 1,000 whales a season, through an loophole in international law.

Groups protesting whaling are labeled often as “terrorists” by the whaling industry. The Ady Gil, a Sea Shepherd anti-whaling pursuit craft, appears to have been a casualty of the whale wars, bearing the brunt of that hot heart’s shell. The Japanese whaler Shonan Maru 2 blasted the Ady Gil with water cannons – before, during and after the time that they sawed the smaller vessel in half via collision.

You Can’t Stop that Great White Whale

The Ady Gil is a small pursuit craft belonging to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, an activist group that opposes Japanese each season in the Southern Ocean, which is south of Australia and New Zealand and encircles Antarctica. While Sea Shepherd Australia Director Jeff Hansen told the New York Times that the Ady Gil wasn’t sunk, “it’s in two pieces, and we’re trying to salvage what we can.” Ady Gil crew was rescued by an accompanying vessel, the Bob Barker. One crew member sustained injuries.

The Price is Wrong, Whaler Man

The video below shows the Shonan Maru 2 plow through the Ady Gil, breaking off the nose of the smaller ship. No doubt the Japanese Whaling Industry considers it payback for all the stalking and harassment the Sea Shepherd group has caused their whalers, but they have yet to come forward with such a statement. Sea Shepherd is not impressed. The whale wars aren’t likely to stop anytime soon. Will payday loans be necessary?

“They’ve really upped the ante this year,” said Hansen. “But we definitely won’t be leaving.”

Take Consideration Into Alternative Energy Systems For A Greener Future

February 27th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

 

With more and more attention being drawn to the negative effects of global warming, renewable and alternative energy systems have become the topic for numerous discussions and debates. This is seen as a good measure by most people but the question is regarding whether or not the topic of alternative energy systems is a mere fad that may be trendy nowadays but overlooked by tomorrow.

the system are built with the objective of making environment favorable energy systems and making the energy production cost effective. Keeping these objectives in mind would be primary and the ground for alternative energy systems not gaining much popularity earlier on could have been due to the fact that most of these systems lean to be quite pricey.

The use of carbon fuels has resulted in raised carbon dioxide discharges which have made numerous problems related to environmental pollution. As we all know, fossil fuels are not sustainable. Over time, though it may take thousands of years, these resources would be exhausted due to the higher need for them. It appears that time has come to say goodbye to petroleum fuels and coal. Alternative energy systems are the need of the hour.

The primary problem is that there is so much mix-up regarding alterative energy systems. Some might be amazed to know that there does not appear to be a single accepted definition for the word and this has created a situation where most people don t really know what sorts of energy could really be grouped as alternative energy systems. For example at times nuclear energy is classified under alternative energy but some consider this to be inappropriate.

Wind, solar and hydro power are some of the most common forms of alternative energy. Numerous others have also made it in to the list recently so there is a huge choice of alternative energy systems available to anyone interested in investing in such a system. Architects and engineers now take use of these systems to design more environmentally friendly buildings and this could be learned as an significant measure in incorporating alternative energy systems in daily life.

The original cost of investing in such systems lean to be quite superior but it should be kept in mind that long term benefits that would come about due to investment in alternative energy systems should also be taken into account. A greener future is what requires for the sustainable future of the earth.

There are hundreds of organizations now that deals with alternative energy systems and it appears that they are involved in a lucrative business with unlimited potential.

 

Students learn green living, eating at Chicago school (ABC 7 Chicago)

For one charter school, living ‘green’ is more than just a goal; it’s a way of life.

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Investng In Alternative Energy Stocks Can Help You Become The Next Bill Gates In The World

February 26th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

 

Is it true that money is what makes the world go around? Crazy as it may sound, there can be instances where people face a variety of problems with money as their only solution. It’s true that life can be unfair at times, but if you are someone who wants to have a strong bank balance by the time you retire, taking a little risk can sometimes bring you that luck. A diverse portfolio can be a solution if you are thinking of investing in different categories. Your risk of losing is minimized and you open up new avenues of earning money. Now isn’t that great? One way of doing this is to have alternative energy stocks. This might actually solve the problem of having expenses that exceed the income.

It’s true that investing in alternative energy stocks carrys a high risk, but we can not deny the truth that when we are with risk we have much profit. If one needs to earn millions of dollars, taking the first step is necessary, and in this case, a little risk of investing in alternative energy stocks.

Predictions made over the years say that by the year 2013, the market for alternative energy stocks could rise up to around $13 billion dollars. If your company was one of the lucky few that invested on alternative energy stocks that the whole world agreed upon, the likelihood of ending up as a millionaire is very high. You can entirely reach the dream of becoming the next Bill Gates. The right choice will determine the future of you and your company. So, consider carefully whether you should invest in alternative energy stocks or not is very important.

We all know how the United States and other countries depend on foreign oil that is purchased at sky rocketing prices. The research for alternative energy stocks has resulted in companies offering help to eliminate the problems of these depleting resources.

The only setback of investing in alternative energy stocks is that there is no right way of choosing which energy resource is the best. There are different kinds of alternative energy stocks to look at with geothermal and solar power being some. Taking a chance on solar power might end up as a wrong decision when the world chooses oceanic thermal power instead. This is why you should get help from a financial advisor before deciding on the alternative energy stocks that are available. Since the market for alternative energy stocks is just starting, you could have the potential of growing in the long term. Therefore, instead of heading for losses, it is beneficial to study the market, get help from a financial advisor and then move on to invest in alternative energy stocks.

A Guide To Roof Insulation – Various Options

February 26th, 2010 Get Your Green On No comments

Most of us do not consider having roof insulation until we are forced to consider the option either due to a hailstorm causing a cacophony on our roofs or due to a leak. There are many house owners who spend a lot of money on remodeling their homes by buying unnecessary fixtures or installing fancy looking or luxurious accessories but do not consider the money saving option of having their roofs insulated. 

It sure does not add aesthetic value or is a luxury statement but is a very practical and necessary add on to good living. Having roof insulation protects your home in more ways than one and also makes it sound proof and more impervious to outside fluctuations in temperature. The most common types of roof insulation are made from fiberglass.

Having an insulated roof does not increase the aesthetic value of your home but helps to save you money by reducing your expenditure on energy bills and also protects your home from the vagaries of the weather. The roof insulation protects the roof and makes it unsusceptible to fluctuations in temperature outside your home. The most common types of insulations used are made from fiberglass or foam.

The effectiveness of the insulation is also determined by the thickness and density of the fibers used. Having a roof insulation installed would help thwart the ill effects of foul weather and prevent the roof from leaking during the rains. They also provide heat insulation and keeps the interior warm and cozy. 

It also helps conserve energy by preventing the heat from seeping into the house or dissipating out of it and keeps your home warm in winter and cool in summer. They also make your home immune to outside noises.

The advantage that roof insulation gives you is that it eliminates the possibility of having broken pipes due to water condensation. The maintenance cost is low or practically nil and most dealers would offer to provide periodic maintenance services upon purchase of the insulating material. The manufacturers also offer warranty on the product up to six months and more. Some even have customer service cells that offer support and maintenance services for the insulating products that they manufacture. It is advisable to do a bit of research by yourself before you go ahead with installing an insulation.

Another common type of roof insulation apart from the fiber glass insulation is foam insulation. It is by far the easiest way of insulating your roof and can be done within a short period of time and is also effective as any other. They come in handy if you the rains are due and you have a leaky roof and would like to fix it in a hurry. The foam roof insulation is usually sprayed on to the roof using a gun like contraption that mixes the ingredients and heats them up. It is a simple, easy and fast way to having your roof insulated.

The advantage with a foam roof insulation is that it saves you time. It works best over metal roofs that are most prone to getting heated up on a hot day and then spreading the heat into your home and heating it up like an oven, making it miserable inside without an air conditioner. Roof insulation with foam would ensure that your home does not heat up in the summer and you don’t have to turn on the air conditioning to keep yourself from sweating like a pig.

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Micro-hydro system to provide power in remote Kampung Lumpagas (The Star)

KOTA KINABALU: The remote Kampung Lumpagas at the border of Sabah and Kalimantan, Indonesia, will soon get electricity from green technology thanks to the efforts of a corporate body and a non-governmental organisation.

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