Frankly Green

The New Math of Alternative Energy

Does going green finally make economic sense? By REBECCA SMITH February 12, 2007

URL for this article: www.geopower.ca/media%20US%20articles/WSJournal%20full%20article.pdf   or http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117087922327101294.html

A great article from the WSJ on the economics of alternative sources of energy. For years, the big criticism of alternative energy was cost: It was too expensive compared with energy based on traditional fuels like coal and natural gas… Now the equation is showing significant signs of change. Costs are falling for some alternative-energy sources, driven by new technology and renewed development interest.

For all its promise, relatively little electricity currently comes from renewable sources, other than hydropower. According to the Energy Information Administration, renewable resources produced 2.3% of the U.S. electricity supply in 2005. Bio-mass was responsible for 1.5%, wind for 0.44%, geothermal for 0.36% and solar power for a scant 0.01%.

In contrast, coal-fired generation produced 49.7% of U.S. electricity supplies in 2005, followed by nuclear power at 19.3%, natural gas at 19.1%, hydropower at 6.5% and oil-fired generation at 3%.

But alternative energy stands to gain a larger share in years to come. Driven by concerns about global warming and energy security -- as well as the rising cost of electricity generated by fossil fuels -- regulators are forcing electric utilities to broaden their resource mix to include more "green" power.

Australia to Ban Incandescent Bulbs

Global warming plan would phase them out by 2009

MSNBC News Services

Updated: 9:05 a.m. PT Feb 20, 2007

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17233145/

Interesting development in Australia! While it does not solve all the problems, it is a step in the right direction. I must confess that while I am very much in favor of curbing greenhouse emissions, I am generally leery of the government instituting a ban. I would much rather see some economic incentives to get people to make the switch to CFL bulbs. - Australia will be the world’s first country to ban incandescent lightbulbs in a bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions, with the government saying on Tuesday they would be phased out within three years and replaced by compact fluorescent lighting. By 2009, Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull told local radio, "you simply won’t be able to buy incandescent lightbulbs, because they won’t meet the energy standard."

Australia is not the only place looking to replace them with fluorescent lighting, which is more efficient and longer lasting.  Last month, a California assemblyman announced he would propose a bill to ban the use of incandescent bulbs in his state. And a New Jersey lawmaker has called for the state to switch to fluorescent lighting in government buildings within three years.

Environmentalists welcomed the light bulb plan, but noted than the vast bulk of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions come from industry, such as coal-fired power stations. They urged the government to set national targets for emission reductions and renewable energy.

Antarctic Ice Melt Reveals Exotic Creatures

• For first time scientists have been able to catalog wildlife beneath two ice shelves
• Hundreds of specimens collected, including possibly new species
• Global warming blamed for the ice shelves' demise, scientists say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Spindly orange sea stars, fan-finned ice fish and herds of roving sea cucumbers are among the exotic creatures spied off the Antarctic coast in an area formerly covered by ice, scientists reported Sunday.

This is the first time explorers have been able to catalog wildlife where two mammoth ice shelves used to extend for some 3,900 square miles over the Weddell Sea.

At least 5,000 years old, the ice shelves collapsed in two stages over the last dozen years. One crumbled 12 years ago and the other followed in 2002.

Global warming is seen as the culprit behind the ice shelves' demise, said Gauthier Chapelle of the Polar Foundation in Brussels

$75 Water: Worth It, or Money Down the Drain?

High-End Bottled Water Is Flooding the Marketplace, But Some Say It's No Better From What Comes From the Tap

URL: http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Business/story?id=2883752&page=1 

If you have read any of my past posts, you know my feelings on this subject - Americans spent more than $10 billion on bottled water last year. Now, a new generation of luxury bottled water, with upscale packaging and price tags to match, is flooding the marketplace.

Bling H2O is one of the new high-end breeds. Its bottle, covered in Swarovski crystals, contains spring water from Tennessee. MMMmmmmmm… water from Tennessee!

"People are paying $40, $55, $60, $75 a bottle for the water, depending on where you purchase it in the hospitality industry," said Kevin Boyd, Bling H2O's creator. "It's definitely worth it. It's premium water, in premium packaging, that merits a premium price tag." Right! And I have a piece of land I would like to sell you – about 30 miles west of San Francisco!

While Housing Withers, 'Green' Materials Bloom

By JIM CARLTON

February 21, 2007; Page B1

URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117202392166614402.html

Let’s hope this trend continues!! The housing downturn is leaving one part of the construction industry remarkably unscathed: makers of so-called green building materials.

Purveyors of such building components as foam insulation and faux wood shingles are continuing to see gangbuster sales, almost as though the housing boom that ended a year ago were still at full tilt. Materials are considered "green," in industry parlance, when they generally help reduce energy use more than conventional materials or are manufactured in a way that has less of an impact on the environment. For example, some green shingles are made from recycled rubber.

5 Energy and Planet Saving Projects You Can Do in Under 5 Minutes

Looking to lessen the load on the planet—and your pocketbook? In just a few minutes you can make your home more energy efficient, more comfortable to live in, save yourself a few bucks, and maybe feel a little less guilty about living high on the food chain.

Playing your part is so easy that we have compiled a list of 5 energy saving tips that take 5 minutes or less to complete. Who knew going green could be so simple?

1. Go Fluorescent

While fluorescent light fixtures may be a thing of the past, fluorescent bulbs are here to stay. Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent ones--they are four times more energy efficient. There are new models of fluorescents that provide a much more natural-looking light.   Also, this quick mini-project can save you about $60 a year on your utility bills. Fluorescent bulbs will set you back about $4.00 apiece (we buy them in bulk). Of course, if you’ve got fluorescent tube lights already but want to replace them, talk to folks at your local lighting showroom or a well-stocked hardware store. There are newer tubes that emit a warm, almost sun-like glow.

2. Get Reflective

If replacing your old windows isn’t within your budget this year, think about covering the glass with a protective film. Found at any home improvement store, this film keeps retain heat during the winter and reflect it in the summer. Some brands boast up to a 70% reduction in heat during those hot months, which is good news if you aren’t lucky enough to own an air conditioner! Other pluses: the film can prevent your belongings from fading due to sun exposure.

3. Bundle Up…Your Water Heater

Heating water requires a lot of energy and costs a pretty penny, so insulate your water heater with a kit purchased from your local home improvement store. The cover will only set you back about $10, but can save you up to 25%-40% on your water bill by retaining the tank’s heat. (You can also make a cover with fiberglass insulation and metallic tape, but don’t wrap the flue collar or burner access.) If your unit is less than 7 years old, it probably is already insulated and doesn’t need to be wrapped, but you can insulate your hot water pipes instead for added savings.

4. Vacuum Your Fridge

As if you don’t have enough to clean, now we are telling you to vacuum your fridge! But because it’s on all the time, your fridge accounts for 8% of your home’s total energy expenditure, so this is a worthwhile project. First, take a peak behind your fridge. If there are big black coils mounted on the back of the appliance, they don’t need to be cleaned. If you aren’t so lucky, unplug the refrigerator and move it away from the wall. Check the manual to see where the coils are located (most likely underneath). Next, remove the plate protecting the coils and using a static cloth or a vacuum with an attachment, clean the dust off of the coils moving from front to back. Replace the plate when you are done and plug in the fridge. Experts recommend that you clean the coils once every 6 to 12 months, depending on your lifestyle. (If you have pets or live in an area that’s prone to dust, it’s best to clean them more often.)

5. Change your Settings

If it isn’t already, turn your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit; you don’t really need tap water any hotter. This works both as a safety measure especially if you have small children as well as a money saving tip. When you aren’t at home, remember to turn your thermostat down to 58 degrees so that you aren’t heating an empty house, but warm enough to keep things from freezing. In the winter, keep the temperature at 68 degrees Fahrenheit; in the summer, aim for 78 degrees. Installing a programmable thermostat is a fantastic way to ensure the device is always where you want it to be.

Finally, check all of your appliances for energy saving setting options and switch them over accordingly.

Help keep your bills low and the planet healthy with these easy energy savings projects. Five minutes of your time and virtually no money invested can make a big difference!

http://lifestyle.msn.com/HomeandGarden/BeJane/Article.aspx?cp-documentid=2821906&GT1=9102&wa=wsignin1.0

Debate Over Global Warming is Shifting

Some skeptics resolute, others revisiting views

By John Donnelly, Globe Staff  |  February 15, 2007

Full Story: http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2007/02/15/debate_over_global_warming_is_shifting/

– While this is good to see… With Democrats controlling the environmental agenda in Congress, a panel of international scientists saying there's a greater-than-90 percent chance that humans contribute to global warming, and former vice president Al Gore calling climate change a moral issue, many besieged global warming skeptics are starting to tone down their rhetoric.

Some, though, are sticking to aggressive tactics, even contending they are gaining momentum. And they have influential allies: some scientists, conservative think-tank pundits, a minority of Republicans in Congress, and a sympathetic White House that has rejected attempts to force companies to curb carbon dioxide emissions -- even though the vast majority of scientists say those emissions are heating up the earth.

Still, both sides acknowledge that the global warming debate has changed significantly in recent weeks. The biggest factor is the Feb. 2 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC -- a review of scientific literature by hundreds of scientists who determined that it is more than 90 percent certain humans contribute to global warming.

That seemingly irrefutable conclusion helped shift the position of ExxonMobil, which had taken the strongest stance among oil companies against global warming policy.

…there are still some people with their heads buried in the sand - Senator James M. Inhofe , the Oklahoma Republican who famously declared global warming a "hoax," said this week that the skeptics were gaining momentum. He said President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic and scientists from France and Israel, among others, are now among the doubters. I am certain you can find doubters on just about any subject if you look hard enough, and it appears that Senator Inhofe is having to search far and wide to find supporters of his position.

Change a Bulb. Change Everything.

It Takes Just 18 Seconds to Change a Light Bulb!!

http://green.yahoo.com/

The competition is on!! 18Seconds.org has partnered with Yahoo! in a campaign designed to encourage people to install compact fluorescent (CF or CFL) bulbs. It only takes 18 seconds to replace an incandescent bulb with a CF bulb. And doing so will not only help reduce energy consumptions, it will save you money!  What kind of difference can one CFL make? Consider this:  If every American home replaced just one of the light bulbs they use most with a CFL, together we'd save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for an entire year and more than $550 million in energy costs, while preventing greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars! Just imagine the difference we could make if we replaced all of the lights we use most!

You can visit www.franklygreen.com and click on the 18Seconds.org image on the right sidebar and you can see how our nation and your city/state are doing. As of today, Arkansas is in the lead. Perhaps because it is Wal-Mart’s home state and WMT is making a big push to sell 100 million CFLs this year? California is in a distant 36^th place. But the competition just started so keep checking.

Also, you can see a variety of CFL bulbs and order them online at http://www.energyfederation.org/ Note that your local hardware store may also carry them.

Living the Green Life

The H&G staff takes a stab at living in more eco-conscious ways to discover what's doable, affordable, meaningful

To kick off our yearlong series, here are 21 ways to save the environment

January 14, 2007
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/living/chi-0701140318jan14,1,1745324.story?coll=chi-living-hed

What can you do to make a difference? Here are some suggestions - Where does one begin? What's worth the time and trouble? And does any one person/one family's efforts really count?

We're not talking about adding solar panels to the roof or ditching our appliances for more efficient models. We're making lifestyle changes.

Today's installment addresses the matter of personal impact.

We dissected a house, looking for easy (but not always obvious) ways homeowners can conserve energy and water -- and money too. Then we extrapolated the numbers, showing exactly how many gallons and kilowatt hours and dollars could be saved with these lifestyle adjustments.

The question, we discovered, is not whether any one person or one family's behavior makes a difference but how much of a difference that is.

In upcoming installments, we will investigate what works (as far as eco-friendly systems and products) and what is too darn inconvenient and/or expensive. The series will include segments on waste reduction in our homes, energy conservation, green cleaning and green gardening techniques. And it will visit a variety of people across the country who already are living the green life in masterful ways.

Green Piece by Piece

By Karen Klages

Tribune staff reporter
January 14, 2007
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/home/chi-0701140307jan14,1,1166818.story

Middle America will be catching the green bug as evidence of high order eco-ness pops up in the most mainstream of places:

Target added an organic line of groceries under the Archer Farms brand name to its SuperTarget stores last fall and to a sprinkling of the mainline Target stores. The rollout continues this year.

The Home Depot has been quietly selling certified lumber and other green products for at least 10 years, but suddenly is getting bolder about the whole eco thing. Starting this year, the green products in its U.S. stores will be (re)labeled prominently with the brand name "Eco Options," making it easier for shoppers to identify and locate them.