Looks like T. Boone and Walmart are in the lets make a deal phase.  Walmart
has announced it would buy 15 percent of the electricity for its Texas
facilities from Duke Energy wind farm.  That 15 percent equates to 226
million kilowatt hours or 18,000 homes could be powered for a year.

Walmart is buying the power and accompanying renewable energy credits
beginning in April from a Duke Energy wind farm in Notrees, Texas. The power
will supply WalMart’s 360 facilities within the competitive Texas grid. (more…)

If you are looking on how to break into the new green movement but are not sure on
how to start.  Well, the Mitchell Technical Institute is providing a training
course, it is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and it is offering a degree
in wind turbine technology.

They talked with utility providers and firms that are putting up the wind farms
and tried to determine what it is they need for a worker.  There probably are fewer
than two dozen such programs in the nation.

Starting next fall, students can choose between a one-year program that grants a
diploma to be a wind turbine technician and a two-year degree that qualifies them
for more advanced work. (more…)

Rapidly accelerating climate change (global warming), which is caused by greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions, is now fueling dangerous regional and global environmental events.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration illustrates that buildings are
responsible for almost half (48%) of all GHG emissions annually. Seventy-six percent
(76%) of all electricity generated by US power plants goes to supply the Building
Sector. Therefore, immediate action in the Building Sector is essential if we are to
avoid hazardous climate change. Credible scientists give us 10 years to be well on our
way toward global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in order to avoid (more…)

Many Blessings to All

Ambrosia for Evergreens

If this seems a little early, some folks do have a tradition of buying their
Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  So……

To prolong the green and beauty of Xmas trees and the freshness of natural evergreen

holiday decorations, mix a batch of this special holiday concoction.

*    add 1/4 cup of Miconized Iron (available at garden centers) to
one gallon of hot water

*    add 2 cups of light corn syrup

*    add 4 tsps of chlorine bleach

This stuff is powerful and can stain carpets, so keep a plastic sheet spread underneath.

Trim an inch off of the tree trunk and add more as it evaporates. Using a
turkey baster would help in reducing spillage.

Your tree and natural evergreen decorations will remain fresh and beautiful right
through the holidays.

Alright, now hit me with your best family secret recipe for keeping your greens
fresh through the holidays.  Come on, tell me…

There are some myths running around out there that need to be clarified
with some reasons why they are just that ….  Myths!

Myth 1 – Replacing windows is a good investment.

New windows will take 20 to 30 years to pay for themselves. Replacing
single-pane windows with double-pane low-e windows will save energy and money.
In a house with 20 windows, you will save $17 per window in energy cost each
year. It will take you almost 24 years to recoup the cost of windows that cost
$400.00 each. A more economical option: storm windows, starting at around $30, (more…)

Here is a little item I found wandering around and thought it was unique.

The Spanish town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet has placed more than 450 solar
panels on top of mausoleums at its cemetery to generate power, it emerged
yesterday. The crowded, working-class town outside Barcelona decided that
flat, open, sun-drenched land was so scarce that the graveyard was the only
viable spot to site the panels, which provide enough electricity to power 60
homes. They rest on mausoleums holding five layers of coffins. The idea was
a tough sell, said Antoni Fogue, a city council member. But town hall and
cemetery officials waged a campaign to explain the project and the panels
were erected at a low angle, to be as unobtrusive as possible.”This
installation is compatible with respect for the deceased and for the families
of the deceased,” Fogue said.

Necessity is the mother of invention OR don’t just lay there, make yourself
useful!

Give this a try…. Internet Marketing Crash Course

Mariah Power, the manufacturer of the Windspire®, a residential and commercial wind power appliance, was recognized in “Best of What’s New” in the green tech category by Popular Science in its December 2008 issue.

Windspire turbine

The Windspire is a 30-foot tall, propeller-free, vertical-axis wind turbine designed for harnessing wind power in urban, suburban and rural locations for both residential and commercial use. Each year, Popular Science reviews thousands of new products and innovations and chooses the top 100 winners across 11 categories for inclusion in its annual “Best of What’s New” issue, the best-read issue of the year. To win, a product or technology must represent a significant step forward in its category.

This award comes on the heels of the company’s announcement of its first volume manufacturing facility in Michigan that will be up and running next year, and the first multi-unit commercial installation of six Windspires at Devon Bank the first “green bank” in the Chicago, Illinois area. (more…)