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From Tennessee, a Ray of Clarity Breaks Through Political Smog

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/26/2012 - 08:30

From Tennessee, a Ray of Clarity Breaks Through Political Smog - Why it takes centrists to reduce air pollution. [Environmental News]

Renewable Energy in Business Schools: Apply an Investment Focus

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 09:41

Renewable Energy in Business Schools: Apply an Investment Focus - Renewable Energy (RE) will likely enter business schools under the banner of sustainability. Good though this is, managing energy in all forms increasingly belongs in business strategy – not in technology studies, environmental sciences, or public policy alone – and deserves business school attention in its own right for at least four reasons. [Renewable Energy]

U.S. Solar Tariff Ruling Provides Much-Needed Certainty

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 09:39

U.S. Solar Tariff Ruling Provides Much-Needed Certainty - By far the biggest development at the PV America West 2012 show here in San Jose today was the much-awaited announcement from the Commerce Dept. on the preliminary tariffs that they will impose on imported Chinese-made solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. [Renewable Energy]

There’s an Awful Lot of Good Energy at My Home

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 09:02

There’s an Awful Lot of Good Energy at My Home -

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Personally, I have anxiety attacks when I see perfectly good materials get thrown in the trash. I believe this disorder of mine is mostly due to the way I was raised. And I’m very thankful for it.

You see, my family (mostly my Dad) has Pack Rat Syndrome. It’s a very mild case, but it’s still there none-the-less. Open a cupboard in their house and you could enter the never–ending world of glass jelly jars. It’s quite beautiful if you tilt your head a little to the left and the light shines at just the right angle. And that’s only the beginning.


Photo from Batter-Splattered

My Dad also used to collect the unused biohazard zip-lock bags from the hospital he works at. They’re perfect for packing your lunch in. However, I remember getting very strange looks during lunchtime from kids at school when I was younger… I wonder why?

And then there’s the garage/woodshop/home to every abandoned piece of wood my Dad could get his hands on…and a mountain of sawdust to go with it. He can turn the ugliest log into a beautiful lamp in just a few hours. And with all that wood… who knows. He could probably build another garage to house all the glass jelly jars, plastic biohazard baggies, more abandoned wood, and probably even his truck.

So the point of all of this pack rat talk is that, while, maybe my family has some things they need to work on when it comes to choosing what to save and what to recycle, they’ve raised some very conscious minds when it comes to conserving what’s still useful. The energy my parents spent on telling me why something was worth saving was some of the best advice I’ve ever received.

I noticed their ways of conserving passed on to my sisters as well. Write this term down if you haven’t heard it before. It’s one of my favorites.

“Awful Lot” – one who immediately turns off any form of energy when it’s not in use. This includes running water.

My older sister came to visit over the holidays and told me to turn the water off nearly every time I turned my back to the sink. She said, “I’m an awful lot.” Or maybe that’s “off-a-lot.” Either way, the term stuck. And now her good habits have been passed on to me.

And props to my Mom for always donating our used clothes to charities. This is something I will continue to do for the rest of my life.

Where do you get your energy to conserve and how do you pass it on?

Read about how Joe Laur invests his good energy here.

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There’s an Awful Lot of Good Energy at My Home
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<p>Passing on good energy and conservation habits</p>
 


[Greenopolis]

Give Up Idling Your Car

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 09:01

Give Up Idling Your Car - Save money, cut emissions and reduce wear on your engine. [Going Green]

Polish Biogas Industry Poised for Growth if Regulatory Hurdles Eased

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/22/2012 - 09:00

Polish Biogas Industry Poised for Growth if Regulatory Hurdles Eased - Poland’s biogas sector is very much in its infancy, but the sector is poised for explosive growth in the coming years. At least 300 agricultural plants are thought to be in advanced planning stages, and the Polish Government is targeting an ambitious uptake of 2500 projects by 2020. With a vast resource potential and an attractive certificati [Green Power]

Effects of Wind on Solar Arrays: Not Just Hot Air

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:30

Effects of Wind on Solar Arrays: Not Just Hot Air - Rapid growth in the solar industry has triggered a pressing need for consistent solar engineering and construction standards, particularly in connection with the structural design of rooftop PV systems. Over the last decade, we've seen an incredible variation in requirements and requests from project engineers and permitting officials across North America for more than 1,000 projects. [Renewable Energy]

Americans Not of One Mind on Regulations

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:29

Americans Not of One Mind on Regulations - Americans don't like regulation. By a hefty margin of 12 points, a recent Pew Research Center poll showed, a majority believes that government regulation of business does more harm than good. Except a significant majority of Americans want to streng... [Environmental News]

Why the 1603 Treasury Grant Program Matters to Solar and RE

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:27

Why the 1603 Treasury Grant Program Matters to Solar and RE - Last Tuesday, March 13, Congress failed to act to renew the 1603 Treasury Grant program, and that’s not only a loss for the entire solar industry, but other renewables too. Some may see 1603 as a program that only benefits large scale solar, but 1603 indirectly benefits the residential solar community, as well as solar thermal, and all other [Green Power]

EPA Proposes Weaker Safe Swimming Guidelines

Submitted by admin on Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:26

EPA Proposes Weaker Safe Swimming Guidelines - Under new guidelines, 1 in 28 swimmers could become sick in water that passes EPA safety muster. [Environmental News]