Frankly Green

Powering the Earth - CNN.com Interactive Graphic

I could not figure out how to imbed this graphic but just follow the link below.

via edition.cnn.com

Ever wondered how much carbon the world emits from the power it uses?

The colored circles show each region's population and their electricity consumption and carbon emissions.

Use the slider at the top to see annual emissions generated from 1980 to 2007.

Click on the name of the regions at the top for a closer view of the relevant figures.

Hawaii in Early Stages of Energy Revolution

By John King, CNN Chief National Correspondent

View Full Article via www.cnn.com

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Using alternate energy, Susan Chandler's energy bill is a third of what it was a year ago
  
• Hawaii's electricity rates are the highest in the country
  
• State law now requires new homes to use solar panels at least to heat hot water

It was an energy audit at work that first nudged Susan Chandler to think green.

"The first thing I did was change all my light bulbs" to energy-efficient models, Chandler said during a recent visit to her Honolulu home. "Then I started tracking my energy bill."

She began walking into rooms her husband and son had just left to turn off the lights. A significant cutback in the use of the clothes dryer was another step. Still, Chandler said she wanted to do more.

"So I put up the panels."

Business Delivers Christmas Trees for Rent

View full article via www.nytimes.com

By Jennifer Steinhauer

It is a nibble weird that a guy who describes his relationship to Christmas as “hostile” runs around greater Los Angeles in a floppy red Santa hat and answers his iPhone, “Merry Christmas, this is Scotty Claus!”

But bummed as false merriment and gift obligations render him, Scott Martin — landscape architect and tree hugger in a literal sense — was unnerved by the sight of post-Christmas trees lying about like so much discarded sausage casing.

What people really ought to do, he reasoned, was rent a Christmas tree, and return it, alive, to the nursery after the season.

Energy-Saving Stoplights Blamed in Crashes

I had read about about this when Ann Arbor, MI converted all their downtown lights to LEDs. This issue obviously needs to be addressed. That being said, the energy savings of LEDs is significant - they use 90% less than incandescent bulbs!

Slightly switching gears, I recently converted our most frequently used lights in our home to LEDs with the help of my friends at illumigarden. The light is fantastic, better than the incandescent bulbs that I replaced. If you have not tried an LED bulb, I would strongly encourage you do do so.

Here is a link to a site called Productdose.com that has good information and comparisons on Incandescent, CFL and LED bulbs. While LEDs are more expensive, they last 60,000 hours compared to 10,000 hours for CFLs and only 1,500 for incandescent bulbs. And if you live in San Francisco or Marin, stop by and see Michael or George at illumigarden. They can help you and give you some samples to test in your home.

View full article via www.msnbc.msn.com

Cities around the country that have installed energy-efficient traffic lights are discovering a hazardous downside: The bulbs don't burn hot enough to melt snow and can become crusted over in a storm — a problem blamed for dozens of accidents and at least one death.

Around the World in an Electric Car

Four University of Chicago Alumni Prove Environmentally Friendly Vehicles Can Go the Distance

Link to Full Article

Jeff Bladt says he has a penchant for traveling “by the seat of his pants.” The idea of buying a plane ticket and figuring out the rest of the trip once he gets there is very appealing to him. Next spring, Bladt plans to embark on an expedition with three of his friends that promises to be more extensive than any he’s been on previously: the first trip around the world in an electric car.

The group has titled their expedition Project EVIE (EV for Electric Vehicle) and for the last several months, they have been involved in rigorous planning, a search for sponsorship, and ongoing research in preparation. As Bladt anticipates the trip, he depicts it as simultaneously paying homage to the spirit of self-reliant, pants-seat travel and following a carefully mapped-out course, contingent on the support of other people.