Marks And Spencer : The Great Plastic Bag Diversion
If you are one of the most successful retailers in an economically rich country then, when you say you are going to become environmentally friendly, that can only really mean one thing: going out of business. Retailers won’t admit that, of course, which is why they insist that “going green” is just a case of lowering their envrionmental impact, but being able to carry on selling loads of unnecessary products to people who have been brainwashed into thinking they need them by the adverts those same retailers keep running in the media.
Marks and Spencer, a very large and very well thought of UK retailer, is doing more than most, admittedly. In January 2007 they launched Plan A, the inference being that there was “no Plan B”. Plan A, according to M&S, is doing everything necessary to protect the planet, because we only have one. Plan A is also about preventing […]
Read More Here
Watching This Video Will Not Make Your Head Explode
But if you watched the last one first it might make you cry a little inside.
Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early
Watching This Video Might Make Your head Explode
The lies, the incompetence, the deception, bite down on your hat, cause this man is going to make you enraged with his idiocy…
I could go through and point out all the wrong things, but lets make it much simpler, whenever bush talks, he is wrong.
More Info here.
House Passes Energy Bill - Now The Real Fight Starts
The current energy bill which would remove subsidies from oil companies (you know the ones making record profits) and giving them to renewable energy (you know the stuff that is clean and doesn’t cause global war’s or global warming).
The U.S. House for the third time in more than a year approved new taxes on the oil industry to pay for incentives for renewable energy and efficiency.
The $18.1 billion measure, versions of which have been rejected twice by the Senate, would remove a $13.6 billion tax credit from the world’s five biggest public oil companies, and impose a $4.5 billion tax on oil and gas companies operating abroad. Money from the policy changes would promote wind and solar power and offer incentives for energy savings technology.
The 236-182 vote comes a day after the price of oil closed at a record $100.88 and during a week when the Energy Department reported that the price of average retail regular unleaded gasoline climbed almost 9 cents to $3.13 a gallon. The White House again threatened to veto the measure yesterday. (via)
Bush mentioned that in essence he thought the bill was “unfair” to oil companies?! What? Any company making like 45 billion in PROFITS in a quarter doesn’t need tax subsides. I am sorry, but the only thing causing Bush to threaten a veto is because the oil and gas companies own Dick, Condi, and Bush himself.
So last time this bill failed to get the number of votes needed to override a veto in the senate by just one vote. I suggest you call up your senator and give them a nice long detailed piece of your mind. I would mention that cheap gas is not as important as our global environment, and that you are sick of having wars over oil, and that clean renewable energy will make more jobs in the US that we are sick of paying all of our money to something that is bad for us, bad for the world, and bad for American security.
Community Wind Energy 2008
| April 14, 2008 | to | April 16, 2008 |
REGISTER NOW TO SAVE ON REGISTRATION
The early registration deadline is March 17, 2008.
Discounted early-bird registration for Community Wind Energy is only around for a little while longer. Register now to save!
To go to the secure registration page, click here.
Don’t forget to reserve a hotel room as well. Windustry has secured blocks of discounted hotel rooms for conference participants. You’ll find details on our website by clicking here.
EXHIBITOR DEADLINE EXTENDED TO FEB. 29
Make sure to secure your space as soon as possible.
Due to demand, we’ve extended the exhibitor deadline until this Friday, February 29. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to reach hundreds of key community wind participants and wind project decision makers. Contact Melissa Peterson at melissa@windustry.org or 612-870-3465 to discuss exhibit options.
Learn more about becoming a sponsor or exhibitor by clicking here.
ABOUT COMMUNITY WIND ENERGY 2008
Click here to go to the conference web page.
Join Windustry in Albany, NY for the premier national conference bringing economic development, agriculture and wind energy together to advance opportunities for locally-owned clean energy production. We will share experiences and information to harness the growing momentum for new models, new policies and new projects.
What is Community Wind? Community wind energy projects come in many shapes and sizes, all sharing significant elements of local ownership and participation (public or private). This new economic opportunity for rural communities can build support for renewable energy in general while maximizing the local economic benefits of wind energy development.
What to expect at Community Wind Energy 2008:
* See what it takes to put a wind project together.
* Hear from community wind developers how barriers to the full utilization of the Federal Production Tax Credit are being overcome even by the “little guys”.
* Learn about the opportunities for community wind energy from wind turbine manufacturers, local elected officials, financers and large and small wind developers.
* Explore community wind development as a tool for taking local action to address climate change while keeping your energy dollars local.
* Get familiar with the full spectrum of wind turbine manufacturers - from residential wind machines to midsize and large commercial scale machines.
* Expand your personal wind energy resource network - meet and greet wind energy folks on the exhibit floor from many sectors of the industry.
* Get an overview of all aspects of community wind development and residential wind installation.
* Take a tour of a premier community wind project.
* Hear from policy makers and advocates about policies that work for wind energy development and how to support them.
* Share your experiences with others who are also working on wind energy projects.
What will happen at Community Wind Energy 2008:
* Day 1: Open dialogue on local, state and national public policies for community wind energy and options for financing projects.
* Day 2: Practical information on how to put together a community wind project.
* Both days will feature informative sessions on home and farm size turbines (small machines less than 100 kW).
* Day 3: Tour a community owned wind project in Massachusetts.
Who will attend?
Rural landowners, farmers, ranchers, economic development experts, elected officials, business leaders, tribal representatives, bankers, local planners, community leaders, legal and utility professionals, students, teachers and anyone else interested in knowing how wind may fit in their community.
Windustry Logo
7 Ways To Save Water At Home
As any good fremen knows, saving water is of vital importance to the tribe. Just because we don’t live on a planet that is made entirely of desert doesn’t mean we shouldn’t watch how much water we use.
In some drought-stricken areas of the country, homeowners are dealing with acute water shortages. But no matter where you live, you can take simple steps to conserve water and save money. In fact, with just a few small changes in your home, you can cut your water bill by half. Here’s how:
1. Low-flow faucets and showerheads
Low-flow faucets have a flow rate of 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute (gpm), compared to 2.5 to 5 gpm for standard faucets. For showerheads, select models that use 2.5 gpm or less. Some showerheads manufactured before 1992 had flow rates of up to 5.5 gpm, so if you have one of these older models in your home, consider switching to a newer version. You could save 20 to 25 gallons of water per shower.
2. Low-flush toilets
More and more manufacturers are offering low flow toilets - some equipped with dual flushing mechanisms and others with pressure assisted systems. Kohler’s Power Lite toilets, for instance, allow users to select either a normal 1.4-gallon flush or a super-low 1.0-gallon flush, so you never use more water than you need. Kohler notes that the toilet can save 2,000 gallons of water a year. Sloan’s FLUSHMATE pressure assisted technology can be found inside toilets from all leading manufacturers. The newest FLUSHMATE IV uses less than 1.0 gallon per flush without sacrificing performance and saves up to 45% more water than conventional technologies, according to the manufacturer.
3. Hot water recirculator
For a hot shower, you first have to displace the water that’s gone cold in the pipe — between 1 and 5 gallons — which heads right down the drain. To prevent cold-water dumping, you can install a recirculating pump, which will rapidly pull hot water from the water heater while simultaneously sending cooled-off water from the hot-water lines back to the water heater. In addition to having the convenience of hot water on-demand, the system conserves water and saves energy. A typical system costs less than $400 to install.
4. High-efficiency appliances
The EnergyStar label is the gold standard for efficient energy use among appliances, but the designation also indicates water-efficiency for dishwashers and washing machines. The Energy Star-rated Whirlpool Gold Super Capacity Tall Tub Dishwasher, for instance, uses just 6 gallons per cycle, not 12 to 14 like older models, and its soil sensors ensure that wash cycles use less water if dishes aren’t as dirty.
5. Rainwater collection system
Using a non-asphalt roof as a catchment area, a rainwater collection system funnels water into a cistern, then sends it through a series of micron filters and an ultraviolet bath to kill bacteria. Instead of spending money on a water bill, homeowners simply pay for the electricity needed to pump water from their cistern into their home’s regular plumbing system. Even a brief rain event on a 2,000-square-foot roof surface can add 650 gallons to the cistern.
6. Zoned irrigation controllers
While indoor water use has been dropping since the early 1990s, outdoor residential water use has climbed to 50 to 70 percent of total water demand. The biggest sponge is your lawn. To control the amount of water you use outside, consider investing in a multi-function timer that can be programmed to water different zones, like trees, shrubs, flower beds and turf. Changing your irrigation schedule with each season also will reduce overwatering and runoff.
7. Lawn humidity sensors
Another way to prevent overwatering is to install a relative humidity sensor, like the WeatherMiser, from Weathermiser Energy Efficiency Corp. It monitors humidity and evaporation and electronically interrupts your sprinkler cycle if moist conditions render watering unnecessary. A more high-tech version is the WeatherTRAK system, which has a controller that receives up-to-the-minute satellite data on weather conditions for your area. It then adjusts its irrigation of your landscape accordingly.
Bonus Feature:
Conduct Your Own Water Audit
Some high desert cities, like Tucson, Ariz., offer free water audits to residents interested in scaling back their water use. Check with your town’s water department to see if it offers a similar program — or simply audit your own home with these ideas from Tracey Berry, a commercial conservation specialist with City of Tucson Water:
- Check for toilet leaks. Add a water-soluble dye tab or several drops of food coloring to the tank of your toilet. If the flapper is leaking, the dye will filter into the bowl after a few minutes. Even a subtle leak can waste 100 gallons of water a day and leave you with a hefty water bill. A replacement flapper, on the other hand, costs only a few dollars and is easily installed by even the least handy of homeowners.
- Find local rebates. Switching to a high-efficiency dishwasher or washing machine is costly, but in certain parts of the country you can get a discount for doing so. In Albuquerque, N.M., for instance, homeowners can earn a $125 rebate for installing a low-flow toilet, $100 for a high-efficiency washer and up to $800 for converting to xeriscaping.
- Adjust landscape watering. Observe your irrigation system to see if adjusting a sprinkler head could avoid sidewalk runoff. In a hot climate, set automatic sprinklers so that you’re watering early in the day or late in the evening to avoid evaporation. Also, remind yourself to check your irrigation schedule frequently; in the fall and winter you should water less often.
We Made The Top Fifty Eco-Blogs List!
Not only are we famous in China, and on some peoples top ten must read list, but the Times Online in the UK things we are among the “must read” eco-blogs on the internet. Gosh chaps, your gonna make a fellow blush. (I am trying to type British, I have a feeling I am failing)
The Sietch Blog
Proof that ‘eco warriors’ need not be humourless party poopers, the Sietch Blog is the voice of the Sietch Community
(’A community of friends changing the world for the better’). It
presents serious information and analysis, as well as light-hearted
stories, such as the bicycle forklift.
Not to be outshined, our good friend Keith also made the list for his new The Unsuitablog! Way to go Keith!
The Unsuitablog
Seeks to name and shame companies engaging in environmental hypocrisy. Check
out the ‘subvertising’ gallery for advertising campaigns altered to
expose environmental hypocrites.
Thanks Times Online! And thanks to everyone that helps make The Sietch Blog what it is. I couldn’t do it without all of you. Be sure to check out the list to get in touch with lots of other good green sites on the net.
A (Dangerous) Waste Of Energy
So we all know that old fashion incandescent bulbs are wasteful. What we might not realize is how they are wasteful. Have you ever looked into a toaster? You will see little glowing red lines, these glowing heaters work on the same principle that electric stoves do. Push electricity through a metal wire, the wire heats up, and you get toast. You can see the wires in the toaster because if you heat them up enough they glow a dull red.
Incandescent bulbs work on this same principle. The little tungsten wire in the bulb heats up so much that it doesn’t just glow red, but a vibrant white. The problem being that most of the energy you put into an incandescent bulb goes towards producing heat (something like 80%) and only a little bit ends up as light. Incandescent bulbs are basically really bright toasters. CFL’s on the other hand make more light with less because they use a different method to produce light. They use a florescent gas that glows bright (and cool) when electricity is passed through it. That is why CFL’s don’t heat up, and use so much less energy.
Anyone who has touched a hot bulb knows that they are nothing to mess around with. Well recently I found this little gem.
Not only was this tiny bathroom like a sauna as the bulbs were left on all the time, but it is clear they are placed too close to the ceiling. This room is in desperate need of some CFL’s. Do you have any examples of pictures like this? Not only waste, but dangerous waste? If so please contact us and we will post them.
Greenpeace : Business As Usual
The Unsuitablog having a go at Greenpeace? That can’t be right, can it?
Yes it can. Since its formation in 1971, Greenpeace have been right at the heart of the modern environmental campaigning movement: amongst their many victories have been putting the protection of whales on a global footing…
Well, that’s all I can think of. I admit to having considerable empathy with the fearless anti-logging campaigners in South America, and the work of some of their more underground activists who rarely get much credit in the PR-ridden world that has become “Nu-Green Campaigning”, but I have more than a little antagonism for the people running the campaigns in the rich countries which contain most of Greenpeace’s member base.
The list of crimes is too many to go into detail here: needless to say, numerous battles have been lost due to their recent practice of kow-towing to the consumer culture. In a nutshell, there […]
Original post by keith
NASA’s New Catalytic Converter Reduces Pollution 30%
Via Techwatch, NASA’s show about how they are using space tech to solve earth problems.
This looks pretty cool, yet another reason we should have a well funded science and space program in this country. It apparently can work at lower temperatures meaning it kicks in sooner and is more effective throughout it’s use. 30% is a huge reduction, lets hope that these sort of devices make it to the market sooner rather than later.
(video via)
RSS XML Feed
