Solar Panel Cleaning Solution Wins New Venture Competition
Here’s a note from a young woman at the University of California at Santa Barbara:
My name is Colette King and I am part of the start up, MoreSolar. (more…)
From Guest Blogger Eileen O’Shanassy: Run a Greener Household With These 5 Tips
Being energy efficient can also help you save some green in your wallet! Here are five areas that will make a big difference:
1) Heating and Cooling Systems:
Adjusting the thermostat “can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your thermostat back 7°-10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting,” says Energy.gov. While that may seem too uncomfortable, a programmable thermostat can quickly take care of this while you are at work or sleeping and adjust an hour before you wake or get home for the day. Make sure to get an annual tune-up for the unit and change the filters on schedule.
2) Green Appliances:
Older appliances should be replaced every 10-15 years for maximum energy efficiency. In their energy saving tips, Kiwi Energy claims that energy efficient appliances can reduce your home energy usage by up to 50%. If you need more of a reason to use greener appliances, visit Energystar.gov, and you can use their calculator to determine how much you can save per year based on the age of the device and the cost of electricity in your area. Many local utility companies also run rebate programs for replacing older models with green appliances.
3) Energy efficient lighting:
Using LED light bulbs will be an investment upfront that will pay for itself. LED bulbs last about 15 years and also use 70-90 percent less energy than traditional bulbs. Because the bulbs do not emit as much heat, they can also help the room feel more cooling in the summertime.
4) Windows:
A drafty window is one of the fastest places to lose heat or cold air. It is also one of the most straightforward problems to fix. A caulking gun will help seal any gaps between the window and the frame. Also, try purchasing a window film kit to create a tight seal around the window. Finally, if you do have the ability to replace an older window, you can save up to 12 percent on your energy bill.
5) Keep your house clean:
A person with a clean home isn’t prone to leaving thrash around or keeping unnecessary (but recyclable) waste sitting at home. Keeping your house clean isn’t just a great personal decision that’s bound to impact your health, but it’s one that encourages greener thinking. Re-evaluate what you want to keep, where things go, how things work by cleaning your home and thinking of the possibilities for implementing a greener household.
Pick one or two of the areas listed above, and soon you’ll be seeing an impact on your energy bill and the environment.
Trump Evokes Anger
Frequent commenter and professional troll of environmental sites MarcoPolo jests that perhaps my rants are generated by a lack of vitamin B12, citing that Oxford University tests reveal low levels of B12 are linked to mood disorders, including anxiety, depression, etc.
I have to admit that I’m outraged that my country is being run by a sociopath. A year ago I thought this was more or less funny; now I’m angry. I’m not ashamed to say that, and a good 60% of the U.S. population feels the same way. (more…)
Germany Replaces Nuclear with Solar and Wind, Maintains Reliance on Coal
For some reason, Germany’s people are terrified of nuclear energy, which is especially weird in that they live right across the Rhine from a country that has generated a huge majority of its energy from nuclear, without incident, for half a century. (more…)
Attractive Deals Need At Least One Competitive Business Advantage
I thought I’d publish this email I wrote to a colleague whose team I’m trying to connect with one of my clean energy investment opportunities, as I’d like people to know that I do whatever I can to weed out flawed deals. My contact wanted to hurry me along on a waste-to-energy (plastics to fuels) project that invokes pyrolysis, a technology that’s been around for almost a century, but I wrote: (more…)
Take a Cool Guess—The Fun Quiz on Renewable Energy and Environmental Sustainability. Today’s Topic: Fun Quizzes
Question: Is “Take a Cool Guess” the only fun quiz on science?
Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.
Relevance: This stuff really is fun!
The U.S. Will Survive Trump
The current movie documentary Death of a Nation suggests that the Democratic Party is composed of modern-day Nazis, racists and fascists, and that Trump, a latter day Lincoln, is being unfairly impeded from preventing the collapse of the United States. (more…)
Tagged with: environmental devastation
From Guest Blogger Diana Smith: The Importance of Sustainable Fashion
Fortunately for us all, more and more people are turning to sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle worldwide. The biggest impact on the environment comes from residential homes, which is precisely why this is usually the first area where people decide to make some changes. (more…)
Tagged with: sustainable fashion
Egalitarian Society: An Appealing Fiction?
What Fuller said here, of course, is wonderful. But there is a problem: it doesn’t make the rich richer, and thus it’s probably not going to happen. (more…)
Climate Change Mitigation Means Compassion, and That’s a Problem
Will our civilization here on Earth meet its emissions targets, agreed to by 179 countries (notably excluding the U.S.) as required to limit the rise in global temperatures to 2 degrees C? While no one has a crystal ball, let’s face the obvious: (more…)
