Transparent Solar Cells for Home Windows

There is a company called Konarka that has designed transparent solar cells that fit right into your house's windows, right in between the two panes. They are completely clear and lack nothing in the way of photovoltaics. They can be produced with a red, green, or blue suttle tone and are a great way to make your home green and pro-renewable, as well as lessen your carbon footprint and save you money in the long-run. This new technology is part of the greater BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaics) concept. With solar cells like these, we are no longer relegated to putting cells on the roof or near the tops of structures and in inconspicuous places. We can put them where the most amount of sun is, wherever that may be, and look good doing it.

Water Energy

This has to be the ultimate in alternative energy potential. If this is real and can be truly realized...we could do and save so much.

Algae Energy

Photosynthesis is one of the keys to bio fuels. This important process in the life of plants enables the absorption of CO2, which is good. Why is it good? Plants, trees, and other types of foliage take in some of the carbon dioxide we create or put off and they change it to oxygen. That's wonderful, right? But there's another good thing about it. We can use these living organisms as fuel alternatives to coal, oil, and other fossil fuels.

One form of bio-fuel that most people have never heard of is Algae Fuel. Eviana Hartman of the Washington Post has written a wonderful article on this newer fuel. She has placed the following in her most recent article:

"If you replaced all the diesel in the U.S. with soy bio diesel, it would take half the land mass of the U.S. to grow those soybeans," says Matt Caspari, chief executive of Aurora Bio fuels, a Berkeley, Calif.-based private firm that specializes in algae oil technology. On the other hand, the Energy Department estimates that if algae fuel replaced all the petroleum fuel in the United States, it would require 15,000 square miles, which is a few thousand miles larger than Maryland.

Isn't this a wonderful factoid? So next time your thinking about the gross stuff that's growing on the river or the creek near your home and how nasty it looks. Just look up at the blue sky and think of the possibilities and it may look a little less disgusting and a little more acceptable.



Picture source: http://www.pngtourism.org.pg/png/export/pics/gallerypictures/images/Algae.jpg

Be Grateful: A Message from The Secret

Here's Hoping for a Greener 2008

I would say that I have been a bit busy lately, but that primarily functions as the understatement of the year 2007. This post will hopefully allow for me to revitalize this blog that has been a learning tool for me mostly, but apparently for others as well.

It was appropriate that the NYC new year party was done the way it was (the ball was covered completely in energy efficient light). Never before has our nation entered a year more equipped to handle the dedication it takes to live green. When I say "live green" I don't mean that you have to be perfectly carbon neutral. While possible for some , I certainly don't claim the ability to do that right now...maybe someday, but not today.

By "live green" I mean make a change. A change in the way you live your life that benefits not only the planet but your world as well. There is an inner sense of peace and guiltlessness that accompanies green actions. Let's face it, it feels good to be green. I once walked 6 flights of stairs passing several trash cans to recycle a simple 20 oz. plastic bottle. That may not seem like a big deal to some, but it was for me. I obviously haven't forgotten the way I felt that day. That one action inspired me to do it repeatedly until it became habitual. Now, I don't walk the 6 flights every time, but I always recycle those bottles when I am done with them. And so can you.

So I suppose that this year I will make an increased effort to not only maintain The Green Blog once again, but to maintain the green lifestyle. I will make a Green Truce with myself. A kind of peace treaty within. And while that truce may be tailored to each of us individually, I encourage you to do the same as me. Here's to a greener 2008 for us all!

"No one wins by chance alone. If they do, they're not winners, just lucky. I'd rather lose a thousand contests giving my all to the cause, and in so doing feel a winner, than to easily win by accident, and in so doing feel a failure." - ESB

Summer Quarter Woes

There may be a lot of green outside during the Summer, such as the grass and the leaves on the trees, but it's very hard to see those beautiful things when you're cooped up in a University classroom staring at old professors and taking notes on otherwise boring material. However, this is my reality. As such, I must unfortunately place a hold on my blogging about green things until the current quarter is over. Rest assured that once I have finished taking all of my finals, I will be back in full swing. Until then, thank you so much for reading, and once I post again I will be making an important announcement. I will still be able to receive comments on my posts and will most likely respond to those, so take a look at the archives if you're new with us.

Thank you again & see you in late September.

~ The Green Blog

Is Harry Potter Green?

He very well may be. In fact, much of the magic world he lives in is also green. While using magic their wands create no waste products, there is no dependency on foreign oil because their brooms are the ultimate form of alternative energy transportation...way alternative, and they care enough about the planet to protect it with jinxes and charms. Good thing too because Voldemort just announced that he wanted to implement a GHG production plant (the evilness is astounding). Not to mention that I heard that they were making Hogwarts and The Ministry of Magic go carbon neutral by installing solar panels and wind turbines...okay okay, I made those last parts up, but it's something that the wizarding world would do.

Anyway...let's learn some lessons that the wizarding world of Harry Potter is teaching us...like developing broomstick mass transit. That should be comfortable. :)

A View From Above

A good friend of mine is a pilot and asked me the other day if I would like to go up with him for a quick flight over the city and surrounding rural area. It was a beautiful sight. The sun was shining brightly, and there were only a few clouds in the blue sky. There was high visibility and little air traffic. The perfect day for a flight.

While the two of us were in the air I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the earth. There is so much green that covers the world, and as I was looking over the area I thought about how tragic it would be to lose it. There is just so much to work for. With the promise that renewable forms of energy bring, we never have to worry about losing it to harness fossil fuels or to pollution.

Next time your in the air on a flight, on the top of a mountain, or looking out from your 15th floor office window, look down on the world and appreciate it. Look down and think about how you can do something to protect it.

picture source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Domme_sky_view.jpg/800px-Domme_sky_view.jpg

Live Earth Rocks!

I just think that there is no problem at all with the "Live Earth" tour. Does it create some carbon emissions? Yes, but so does breathing. That doesn't mean that I condone useless or unimportant GHG emissions (breathing isn't without import), but the "Live Earth" tour is not useless OR unimportant. It is quite the opposite indeed!

I guess I think it's okay because what the entire show is about world-wide is the furthering and spreading forth of global warming education to the masses. A concert medium is an appropiate and effective way to appeal to a younger audience, which is the demographic we really need to educate if you think about it. All should be educated wherever possible, of course, but many of the decision makers that will make some of the most important decisions regarding our planet are attending classes right now, even as we speak...or type for that matter.

So go ahead and buy a ticket if you live near one of the tour venues. Enjoy some good music, good times, and good education that will most likely move you to action. Live Earth Rocks!!!

picture source: http://www.liveearth.org/event.php#press

Global Cooling?...no way.

Global Cooling was a scientific theory in the 1970's that claimed that we would soon dive into another ice age due to extreme temperature patterns favoring cooler days, and that it would be preceded by and made manifest by a dire food shortage that covered the entire Earth.
"Predictions of global cooling never approached the kind of widespread scientific consensus that supports the greenhouse effect today. And for good reason: the tools scientists have at their disposal now—vastly more data, incomparably faster computers and infinitely more sophisticated mathematical models—render any forecasts from 1975 as inoperative as the predictions being made around the same time about the inevitable triumph of communism."
~ William Connolley, a climate scientist at the British Antarctic Survey who has made a hobby of studying ice age predictions.

The scientific methods that we now have are much more accurate and dependable than they were 35 years ago. Global Warming is a real phenomenon and needs our immediate attention and action.

Red, White, Blue, And Green

There are some things you can do to make your 4th of July green, as well as red, white, and blue.

If every American household bought a pack of 40 recycled paper plates instead of buying and using ones that aren't recycled, we would save over 450,000 trees a year, making it a very important decision. So make that important switch a part of your Independence Day.

By utilizing reusable kitchenware, such as 'Tupperware' or 'Gladware', we reduce the amount of trash produced, thereby making a less noticeable impact on landfills and trash heaps. You can also save money by doing this because now you won't have to buy disposable plates or bowls.

Don't forget the recycled napkins as well if you must buy some. These items are all realistically attainable because they sell them at most supermarkets, just look carefully at the labels.

Random Rant #1

I suppose I just don't understand why there is not a more distinctively noticeable push for alternative and renewable energy sources among business. In a conversation I had with a recent veteran who worked out west in California, there was talk of obvious and blatant savings that firms could procure from simply making an investment into some type of renewable energy source to power their plants, offices, and warehouses. Furthermore, the state government in California is offering some mighty tasty incentives for companies who are willing and brave enough to make the switch. So why aren't we seeing more switches?!

It makes me wonder just how strong the oil/gas lobby is. By gas I mean gasoline, of course. Breaking it down like a fraction makes it look pretty simple. Initial investment into a change of energy that would derive from renewable sources costs initial capital. However, with state incentives and write-offs on your side, the promise of reduced energy costs in the future, and the "feel good" factor filtering its way from the top all the way down to the consumer, why is this not a "no-brainer"?


picture source: User: Lan56, Wikipedia Commons

Al Gore Goes All Out...Finally!

Al Gore has been “greening” his house for a while now. He started by adding solar panels to his roof, and replacing his light bulbs with CFL’s. Then he started replacing the windows with energy efficient ones. He’s also replacing the duct-work and installing a rainwater collection system to help with the irrigation and hydration of his acreage. To help with the energy costs of heating his pool he is implementing a geo-thermal heating unit.

Al Gore said in an interview with the AP, “This plan has been in the works for a long time. The only thing that has changed is that we’re more public about it because of the misleading attack by a global-warming denier group.” Toward the beginning of the year, many conservative factions gave Gore a tough criticizing by comparing his electric bill to surrounding large homes and showed that what he paid every month was much more than the average homeowner paid. Electric company records proved that the Gore’s paid an average of roughly $1,180 in energy costs per month last year. His home is 10,000 square feet.
Al will be keeping busy over the next few weeks by solidifying concert dates and venues for the Live Earth tour. Istanbul, Turkey is supposedly next to hop on board as a destination for the seven-continent music tour.

Paper or Plastic?...How About Neither

Following the example of San Fransisco could be a life saver...for trees and oil that is. They have recently passed a law that prohibits grocery stores and other establishments from putting their products into plastic bags for their customers. As of yet they are the only metropolis in the country to have passed this type of legislation. In the United States of America 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million tress go into the production of paper and plastic bags each year. These are valuable resources that we need to create energy for our homes and cars, and to keep the levels of carbon dioxide from getting even higher. Given, the use of oil for fuel creates GHG emissions, but if it must be pulled out of the ground it should at least go toward powering the things we need, not the things we don't...things like plastic bags.
A simple solution: We sometimes don't mind paying a little extra for convenience in this country, which is why this concept can seem so absurd to some, but buying canvass bags that are large enough and durable and bringing them to the store with us when we shop is an easy way to greatly lessen the demand for paper and plastic grocery bags. Of course, doing this may save precious trees and conserve an additional 12 million barrels of oil. It's personal green accountability at its finest.


Picture source:www.midamericanenergy.com

Conversation About Global Warming

The following is a short conversation I had with a person regarding global warming as a legitimate issue:

"I suggest that you try to understand the actual data that the global warming scare is based upon. It is really hard to come by since the proponents of GW are mostly politicians and scientists whose livelihood depend on promoting the fear. I suggest that one read Michael Crichton's 'State of Fear'. It's a fun read and in the back of that book are many references to the pros and cons of environmental activism. One of the best, although a challenge for the lay person, is Professor Aaron Wildavsky's 'But Is It True'. We need to get past the paranoia and decide whether this is a problem that a) really needs our attention, b) we can actually control, or c) is just a quest for power by politicians. Stop trusting the mass media, they have no facts."
- Anon


I resonded:
"No facts?!?! The people that turn a blind eye to the science behind global warming do it because they either don't understand it or they don't want to get off the lazy-boy and do something. I admit that taking contributing action is not as easy as it sounds because it takes a certain level of creativity and non-linear thinking, nevertheless the science world as a near whole has accepted our (human beings) contribution to GHG emissions as dangerous and climate altering. I personally look at data, not novels or books written with a bias by a single person. 'State of Fear' is actually next on my reading list. I know he has researched a lot and I look forward to seeing all of it, but the scientific community is where I hang my hat on this issue."
- The Green Blog

Time Magazines Tip #23: Copy California

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have signed the world's toughest anti-global-warming law, but it is Democrat Terry Tamminen, his environmental adviser, who is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the endorsement of a Republican Governor for a mandate to reduce the state's emissions 80% by 2050.

But thwarting climate change isn't a solo effort. Tamminen left his official post to build a national response to global warming one state at a time. "I am trying to Johnny Appleseed what California has done," Tamminen says. His goal is to create a de facto national climate plan out of individual efforts in the 50 states. "He is crisscrossing the country and spreading the word," says Karl Hausker, deputy director of the Center for Climate Strategies. "Terry gets state leaders interested in doing this." Hausker's nonpartisan, nonprofit group handles the technical details after Tamminen plants his seeds. Nineteen states have developed or are developing aggressive climate plans based on the work of Hausker's group and Tamminen. So much progress is being made at the state and regional level, Tamminen says, that "by the time that there is a new Administration in the White House, a majority of Americans will live in states with a meaningful plan that deals with the climate-change issue."

Source: Time Magazine; April 9th, 2007 issue

No Impact Man is an Inspiration

Here is a guy who lives in NYC and has made giant changes in his life in order to minimize his carbon footprint. He is living in a way that eliminates his net impact on the environment. There is a difference between no impact and net impact. Day to day we each have an impact in some way. Generally it's in things we do everyday without thought; things such as keeping our refrigerators or computers running all day, washing our clothes with the washer and dryer, and even riding an elevator. Those types of activities have impact, however, when we take into account the offsetting we do when we recycle, plant trees, or donate to alternative energy funds or carbon neutrality funds, we offset those carbon contributions we have made by working to eliminate carbon and GHG emissions.
Colin Beavan is "No Impact Man". He has a very interesting website that you can visit by clicking on the link located on the right side of this blog page where it says No Impact Man.

Discovery Channel Special

There was a special on the Discovery channel last Sunday about alternative energy and technologies that can bring it about. I was surprised when I heard the facts about some of the everyday things we use for energy regarding their power.

I learned that the sun and the energy it produces is equivalent to 77 million atomic bombs going off every second. I also learned that it takes 1,120 lbs. of coal energy to keep just one standard home computer powered for a year. I learned more about hydro-gas and the benefits that it can bring when other fossil fuels run out, and even though it's methane and its pollutants are very harmful to the atmosphere and eco-system, they are not planning to use it until they've figured out a way to capture its harmful GHG's from escaping into the sky. And harvesting it looked so cool! At the deepest depths of the ocean, were only a few life forms exist is where they find these solidified gas rocks, capture them, and store them for future use. They say that there is enough hydro-gas (solid methane) in the oceans to power the entire planet for over a hundred years.

Interesting how alternative sources of energy are all around us just waiting to be used. These are energy sources that we've had on this planet since the dawn of time; Water, wind, solar...that's just to name a few that we are just now starting to understand and appreciate as a global population. Do what you can to educate those who don't now understand the sense of urgency we are dealing with.

Butanol: The Next Generation Bio-Fuel

Although the science behind this newly found bio-fuel is not fully complete and ready to implement, butanol leaves us with a hope greater than that of ethanol.
But what is butanol? When speaking of it as a bio-fuel, it is an alchol based fuel that, at 85% strength, can be used without any changes to many engines, unlike ethanol. Butanol fuel is produced from fermentation of biomass. Essentially rotting bio-materials can be converted into butanol.

It’s imagery that causes us to reflect on a mad scientist named Doc Brown from a movie called Back To The Future. We see a frazzled man with interesting sunglasses from the future that was dumping trash into his Delorean engine to produce fuel. Just exclude the aluminum cans and plastics, and keep the banana peels, rotting foods, and plants, and we’re not far from a butanol powered engine.
When compared to ethanol, butanol is less corrosive, more sutable for distrubution through existing gasoline pipe-lines, and has more energy available to burn. Although there are no automobiles in production right now that are ready for butanol, it is concievable that we could see more ink about this new fuel in the near future.

Yahoo!'s Top Ten Greenest Cities

The following are the top ten "greenest" cities according to an ongoing research project being conducted by Yahoo!.
1: Pelzer, SC
2: Hastings, NE
3: San Carlos, CA
4: Mill Valley, CA
5: Topeka, KS
6: Dover, DE
7: Spring, TX

8: Lawrence, KS
9: Walnut Creek, CA
10: Fairfax, VA