Boston approves wind energy project
Posted on April 28th, 2010 by alex
Finally these fans can cheer!!! A big congratulations hailed to the city of Boston on its big step of clean energy development. After long debate on this decision, Massachusetts will become the first state to initial a major clean energy in offshore wind farm project. As their secretary of Interior noted United States wants to lead in clean energy revolution that will reshape our future, other states and organizations should look to expand this initiative as its country and world demands it.
Amid several environmental and political controversy revolving this project most prominent supporters believe “the future of wind power in the United States will be stronger knowing ..[that] this is jobs and clean energy for Massachusetts. I have seen wind energy excel at it best. Certain parts of Britain’s suburbs such as Barking – London, Dagenham – Essex, Havering – London or Tower Hamlets – London, have one or two wind turbines serving their communities. This is old news to them but a big step and development United States is “hoping” to explore baring all political hurdles. How sooner is a question I am afraid to hear unless the improbably satisfaction “to the powers that be” catch up to other clean energy countries’ business achievements. This is the future in technology we no longer can hold off for “the future”.
Tags: massachusettes, OffShore wind energy, wind farms
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 at 11:04 pm and is filed under Featured Content, Wind Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Boston approves wind energy project
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Iceland volcano due to global warming?
Iceland volcano due to global warming?
Posted on April 19th, 2010 by Daniel
According to vulcanologists from the University of Iceland, the immediate answer is no. However, a recent study suggests that increasing temperatures from global warming will cause a lot of ice sheets on volcano tops to melt (d’uuh), which could then lead to some changes in magmatic systems (magma flow, etc.) in volcanic regions (i.e. Iceland’s volcanoes, Mount Erebus in Antarctica, the Aleutian islands of Alaska or Patagonia in South America).
The effects would be more prevalent in areas where ice sheets are melting off of volcanic tops, thus causing slight changes in pressure distribution at the bottom, which could lead to land rises, and associated stresses, These changes in the ground can lead to more frequent volcanic activity.
A report showed that about 10 percent of Iceland’s biggest ice cap, Vatnajokull, has melted since 1890, while the nearby land was simultaneously rising about 25 millimetres (0.98 inch) a year. This is one example of changes brought by melting ice caps.
We would like to point out one comment that we liked on Reuters “It is ironic that the very jet aircraft which are significant contributors to ozone layer breakdown are grounded by volcanic ash perhaps instigated by the melting of glaciers.” (via Reuters)
Tags: global warming, iceland volcano, vulcanic ice caps
This entry was posted on Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 6:16 pm and is filed under Featured Content. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Earth Day Should Be Every Day!
Earth Day Should Be Every Day!
Posted on April 26th, 2010 by Sulaiman
April 22, 2010 was officially “Earth Day” according to our calendar. However, Earth Day should be Every Day and we all must make a commitment to make sure mother earth is preserved for future generations. Let’s all get excited about making Earth day Every day and contribute to making the earth greener. Now if you are serious about going green but having a brain fart and don’t know what to do, here is an easy suggestion RECYCLE! If you don’t know where to recycle certain items such as old TV’s, old coat hangers or things we don’t regularly recycle then I have a solution for that as well, Call the Police (911) …no not that police …the Earth Police…Earth911.com!
“Earth911.com is your one-stop shop for all you need to know about reducing your impact, reusing what you’ve got and recycling your trash”and they believe that Earth day should be Every day and their slogan reads “Making Every Day Earth Day”. You can find many resources about recycling materials such electronics, hazardous cleaning materials, paper, platics, glass, automotive, Metal, and much more. They also have a recycling database, where you can find over 100,000 recycling locations across the country. With information provided by local governments, industry insiders, organizations and everyday consumers, you can recycle hundreds of products from packing peanuts to computers. They know where you need to go to get things done. Check out the Earth Police at www.earth911.com.
Remember…Be part of the SOLUTION so that we may have a BRIGHT FUTURE!!! Feel free to start by searching for green contractors for something as simple as an energy efficiency audit by entering your zipcode here!
Tags: Earth Day, earth day is every day, everyday is earth day, mother earth, plastic bags, recycle, recycled electronics, recycling database, Where to recycle
This entry was posted on Monday, April 26th, 2010 at 10:32 am and is filed under Environment, Featured Content. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Earth Day is here! What are you doing?
Earth Day is here! What are you doing?
Posted on April 22nd, 2010 by Daniel
There are a lot of Earth Day events going on this week, perhaps the biggest one being the Earth Day Network’s Climate Rally at the National Mall in Washington D.C., and we will be there! The event starts at 11am this Sunday, April 25th. This will be the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, since its founding by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970. Yes, the same Mr. Nelson from the Nelson [contraceptive] Pill Hearings… but we digress… the event will feature many speakers, such as Reverend Jesse Jackson, film director James Cameron, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Olympic gold medalist Billy Demong, producer Trudie Styler, author Margaret Atwood, NFL player and television personality Dhani Jones, environmental photographer Sebastian Copeland, and others. Also, there will be live performances by Sting, John Legend, The Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, Booker T, Honor Society and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger.
The purpose of the rally is to urge legislators to come up with comprehensive climate legislation that will help create American jobs, reduce carbon emissions, and secure our future. Check out these core issues and learn more about why this is important to you and your community.
Interested? RSVP at the Earth Day Network’s site here. If you are in New York City, Philadephia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Charleston West Virgina, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Baltimore, and you think you don’t want to drive out to DC for this, well guess what, they even have free buses for you guys if you RSVP here. And if you still can’t make it, feel free to find a list of all the events going on near you by visiting the events listings here.
So, what are YOU doing on Earth Day?
Feel free to take a few steps in the right direction by getting quotes from our green contractors for solar or wind energy services, energy efficiency audits, or green remodeling projects by going to our homepage and doing a quick search with your zipcode (currently supporting DC, MD, VA only).
Tags: Climate Rally, Earth Day, National Mall, reduce carbon emissions
This entry was posted on Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 11:13 am and is filed under Environment, Featured Content, Green Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Sustainable Energy Info on Haiti
Sustainable Energy Info on Haiti
Posted on April 20th, 2010 by Nick
The Earthquake in Haiti brought a lot of attention to the world. From Obama to Wyclef and other celebrities taking the stage to address the country’s problems. Even before the earthquake, the country has been devastated throughout the years with social, health, and economic instability just to mention a few of these few areas.
However amid all the bad news we hear about Haiti, let’s remember that they are known for their rich history and culture.
And so with problems breed opportunities to make the country stronger and better.
We will now dive through a summary of the environmental issues facing Haiti outlined by the Ministry for Public Works, Transportation, and Communications Bureau of Mines and Energy Electricity of Haiti.
Let’s start by saying this… Before the earthquake and possibly a little after (now 04/18./2010), there was an overuse of firewood to generate heat. As a result over, the years, Haiti has gone through massive deforestation. The rate of planting new trees to replace old existing ones has not led to anything sustainable as more and more trees are cut down to provide heat and other measures of survival and consumption. More than half of the country is below the poverty lines where the average income per household is around $500.00. This leads to a dilemma of citizens unable to buy more efficient fuels and technology to sustain their country in the long run. When it comes to oil and gas, Haiti does not have enough money for internal oil and gas sector generation resulting to low gas and emissions standards. The country similar to the United States is a net importer with high debt. And when it comes to electricity generation, Haiti ranks at the bottom for electricity generation by ranked countries. For many years their electricity infrastructure has be underdeveloped with plants and transmissions lines.
With the world coming together to help Haiti, we hope to see an effort to create sustainable living to help reduce deforestation, fossil fuels, and other environmental pollants for a healthier economy. We hope to see more renewable technology. With Haiti having great potential for solar and wind, there is viable future waiting to happen.
Feel free to take a few steps in the right direction by getting quotes from our green contractors for solar or wind energy services, energy efficiency audits, or green remodeling projects by going to our homepage and doing a quick search with your zipcode (currently supporting DC, MD, VA only).
Tags: Haiti
This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 at 7:35 pm and is filed under Environment, Solar Energy, Wind Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Iceland volcano due to global warming?
Iceland volcano due to global warming?
Posted on April 19th, 2010 by Daniel
According to vulcanologists from the University of Iceland, the immediate answer is no. However, a recent study suggests that increasing temperatures from global warming will cause a lot of ice sheets on volcano tops to melt (d’uuh), which could then lead to some changes in magmatic systems (magma flow, etc.) in volcanic regions (i.e. Iceland’s volcanoes, Mount Erebus in Antarctica, the Aleutian islands of Alaska or Patagonia in South America).
The effects would be more prevalent in areas where ice sheets are melting off of volcanic tops, thus causing slight changes in pressure distribution at the bottom, which could lead to land rises, and associated stresses, These changes in the ground can lead to more frequent volcanic activity.
A report showed that about 10 percent of Iceland’s biggest ice cap, Vatnajokull, has melted since 1890, while the nearby land was simultaneously rising about 25 millimetres (0.98 inch) a year. This is one example of changes brought by melting ice caps.
We would like to point out one comment that we liked on Reuters “It is ironic that the very jet aircraft which are significant contributors to ozone layer breakdown are grounded by volcanic ash perhaps instigated by the melting of glaciers.” (via Reuters)
Tags: global warming, iceland volcano, vulcanic ice caps
This entry was posted on Monday, April 19th, 2010 at 6:16 pm and is filed under Featured Content. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Greening your home: Part 2 of 5
1. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label instead of incandescent bulbs.
2. CFLs use 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.
3. CFLs generate 70 percent less heat than standard incandescent lighting.
“If every American home replaced just one light bulb or fixture with an ENERGY STAR qualified product, we preserve enough energy each year to light more than three million homes, save more than $600 Million in energy cost, and prevent greenhouse gas emission equivalent to those produced by more than 800,000 cars!”
This entry was posted on Friday, April 16th, 2010 at 10:39 pm and is filed under Do it Yourself, Energy Audits, Green Remodeling, Uncategorized, sustainable products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Using solar for desalination
Using solar for desalination
Posted on April 9th, 2010 by admin
Like most populations in the desert region, Saudi Arabia has an ongoing fresh-water shortage problem. The country is one of the largest fresh-water producers using the process of desalination. Now the country’s national research agency plans to build the largest desalination plant using… guess… what’s ample in the desert? ..aside from sand … getting warmer… SOLAR!
The plant will operate using a PV concentration technology developed by none other than Big Blue himself, aka IBM. The technology focuses 2,300 times the power of the sun onto a a single square-centimeter solar cell. The cell doesn’t get damaged because of an indium-gallium liquid-metal alloy that acts as a heat sink, by moving the heat away from the cell. In addition to the new PV technology, the plant is also using a new reverse osmosis based water filtration system, also developed by IBM and University of Texas at Austin.
Energy use takes up more than half of the cost of running a desalination plant, and current desalination plants rely on fossil fuels for that energy. Even though solar power is still more expensive than fossil fuels in most places, the long term savings costs make it an ideal solution for such a project. In addition, the substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is just another great perk of such a system. Completion for the plant is scheduled for 2012, and when completed, the plant will produce 30,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day, which is enough to meet the basic needs of 100,000 people.
(via MIT Technology Review)
Tags: IBM, indium-gallium liquid-metal alloy, PV concentrated, Saudi Arabia, solar, water desalination
This entry was posted on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 11:34 am and is filed under Featured Content, Solar Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
fly around the world on solar power
fly around the world on solar power
Posted on April 7th, 2010 by admin
Are you the traveling type that always wanted to visit various places around the world? Would you be adventurous enough to do it on a balloon? No? Ok, would you be GREEN enough to do it with power from 12,000 solar cells? “YES!” is what we’re looking. The famous adventurer Bertrand Piccard is at it again, only this time he’s planning to go around the world by flying something called the Solar Impulse. A worthy prototype of the Solar Impulse took off on its first test flight today form a field in Payerne, Switzerland, and flew for approximately 1.5 hours. The plane has a wingspan the size of that from a 747 (a brisk run to the 70 yard line of your local football field should give you an idea of the length), and weighs 3,500 lbs (think toyota camry, with perfectly fine accelerator pedals). The prototype took off at a speed of 28mph with the help of four 10HP propeller motors (power of a small motor boat). Here’s a video clip from the Associated Press, enjoy! BBC also has some nice video footage here.
Scroll back up and take a closer look at that Solar Impulse and Wright Flyer picture for a second… that’s 106 years of innovation, haven’t we come a long way? I don’t know about you, but I’m still waiting for my flying car!
Tags: bertrand piccard, fly around the world, solar plane
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 11:12 pm and is filed under Featured Content, Green Technology, Solar Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Toyota Hybrid Recall? No. Chevrolet Volt Display
Toyota Hybrid Recall? No. Chevrolet Volt Display
Posted on March 29th, 2010 by admin
Nope. This is not another type of Toyota Hybrid Recall or a car-like bail out. At least not yet.
Ok. I get it. The picture above is the chassis for the Chevrolet Volt. I remember taking this image coming down the elevator from Pentagon City in Washington DC/Virginia a week ago. At first glance it appeared as a go cart until further inspection.
Supposedly this car can run up to 40 miles emissions free. Thus by the time I leave off to work from Hyattsville, Maryland to Baltimore, MD, I am short of several dozen miles to head back home. Okaaay…. So what are my options at this point? Option A: find an electric station, Option B: plug my vehicle at work, or Option C: wonder the streets of Baltimore to find an outlet. At this point, I have to ask myself if this is worth the trouble and hassle. I barely have the discipline to fully charge up my Iphone! Hmmm… Sounds like I better walk away. Maybe next time GM.
By the time, I leave the floor; I am approached by a Volt agent. They explain, “the car is 40-miles gas and emissions free. Thanks to its range-extending gas generator, it produces enough energy to power the Volt for hundreds of miles. It’s more than a new car, it’s the future of transportation.” That means, I can add gas and save on a lot more!
Let’s go back to the features. The body of the Volt is slightly bigger than the Prius with a modern look and feel interior. When this vechicle gets off the assembly line, it may very well set a whole new standard for all cars. I can’t wait to see the body of a Mustang on top of this chassis.
Have a great one folks!
-Nick
Tags: green tech, not a toyota hybrid recall
This entry was posted on Monday, March 29th, 2010 at 9:14 pm and is filed under Green Tech News, Green Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Go Green Event w/Eco-Green Living & Kenergy Solar
Go Green Event w/Eco-Green Living & Kenergy Solar
Posted on March 14th, 2010 by admin
Yes folks. We just wrapped up our first Go Green event with Eco-Green Living and Kenergy Solar. The event was held at the Eco-Green Living store on 6201 Blair Road, in NW Washington DC. People stopped by and learned about the vast selections of green products for their home and/or business, such as tankless water heaters, solar skylights and attic fans, solar PV-system installations, eco-friendly counter-tops and flooring products… the list going on. Great insightful conversations took place (over pizza and soda
) with solar and green remodeling experts from Eco-Green Living and Kenergy Solar. Check out the video and the picture gallery below!
We’d like to thank Eco-Green Living and Kenergy Solar for the opportunity we all shared! Here’s a quick word on them:
Eco-Green Living is a Washington, DC supplier specializing in products for green building, design, and living. They offer a wide variety of green products, ranging from organic mattresses and no VOC paints to tankless hot water heaters and solar skylights, just to list a few.
Kenergy Solar is a Millersville, MD renewable energy company specializing in the design and installation of solar PV systems for residential and commercial sectors.
Tags: green community event, Green Remodeling, green store, solar contractors
This entry was posted on Sunday, March 14th, 2010 at 5:27 pm and is filed under Featured Content, Green Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Recycled Electronics make Olympic Medal
Recycled Electronics make Olympic Medal
Posted on March 4th, 2010 by admin
Did you know that components from recycled electronic equipment (cellphones, computer motherboards, etc.) were used in making the 2010 Vancouver Olympics medals? The integration of artistic creativity with environmental sustainability brings a warm and fuzzy feeling to our hearts. Great job Omer Arbel and Corrine Hunt! Enough talk, enjoy the video (via Core77) :
Tags: recycled electronics, vancouver olympics
This entry was posted on Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at 12:56 am and is filed under Featured Content, Green Tech News, sustainable products. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
350 polar bears in Chesapeake Bay. wait, what?!
350 polar bears in Chesapeake Bay. wait, what?!
Posted on February 22nd, 2010 by Daniel
Came across this cool video from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. While some tried to keep warm by staying indoors during this unusually cold winter, 350 green enthusiasts gathered by the banks of the Bay in Annapolis and… well, let the footage speak for itself:
We applaud you guys! you’re the best!
This entry was posted on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 8:57 pm and is filed under Green Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Winter Storm…Power Outages…Good time for Solar!
Winter Storm…Power Outages…Good time for Solar!
Posted on February 8th, 2010 by Sulaiman
The Blizzard of 2010 dumped 20+ incheson snow in the Washington,DC Metropolitan area leaving many without power. When there is no power there is a lack of other necessities such as HEAT and COMMUNICATION but you can be prepared next time. No I’m not talking about a stock pile of candles or flash lights nor generators…How about SOLAR. That’s RIGHT…Solar Power from the Sun. Solar power can make you INDEPENDENT from your utility company…No need to wait and depend on your utility companies when you have your own power. There are several options which are affordable.
Option # 1 (Permanent Solar Install on your home)
A permanent solar install can be a little expensive just looking at average cost but after many federal and state incentives for homeowners investing in renewable energy the install can become very affordable. The great thing about using solar is that your home will generate its own power without the need of a utility company. Matter of fact, you can even earn money from the utility company when you produce more power than you actually use…this is called “Net Metering”. Another advantage of going solar is that Solar Panels continue to generate power for your home even in the snow! No more Power Outages due to winter storms.
Option # 2 (Portable Solar System)
A portable solar system can be used to power small electronic devices during a power outage such as a portable heater, a small refrigerator, lamps, laptops, radios,and etc. Whatever you decide is the most important thing to have where there is a power outage.
For more information about going solar…Please contact a Sobuka Consultant at 301-485-9098
Tags: power outage, solar, Solar Energy, solar in the snow, solar in the winter, solar panels, solar roof
This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 10:55 am and is filed under Featured Content, Solar Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Skip the Bag & Save the River…or Pay the Price
Skip the Bag & Save the River…or Pay the Price
Posted on February 8th, 2010 by Sulaiman
On January 1, 2010…Washington, DC was the first major city to implement a 5 cents tax on all paper and plastic bags distributed at local businesses (including grocery, liquor and drug stores, restaurants, and street vendors) in order to eliminate the harmful effects paper and plastics can have on the environment when they are not recycled. The state of Maryland and Virginia are next to follow the example of the District
So how do you avoid paying 5 cents a bag?
You can bring your own disposable or reusable bag to the store or restaurant and some stores and restaurants will offer you a 5-cent credit per bag for bringing your own, so you’ll actually save 10 cents!!!You can also choose not to bag your purchase and carry it in hand or some other carrying method such as a wagon, book-bag, sack, etc. It’s up to you…you can get creative
I know saving 10 cents doesn’t seem like much but when we bring math into the picture…10 cents can turn into $1…a dollar can turn into $100…you see where this is going.
Skip the Bag and Save the River…or Pay the Price…the choice is yours.
MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE…
Tags: 5 cent tax, anacostia river clean up, bag tax, clean up the river in DC, paper bag tax, plastic bag tax, plastic bags, recycle, skip the bag
This entry was posted on Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 12:47 am and is filed under Featured Content, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
