This Infographic Show How Green Jobs Are Growing

With all of the attention of the American people needing jobs, this infographic indicates where, who and how.

Many of the companies listed are IT companies and many of them have plans to update their computer centers into green environments.

Even NREL(National Renewable Energy Lab) is updating their huge computer center which generate a tremendous amount of heat. Many variations are being utilized.

Green jobs are not only in the wind, solar and other energy sectors but in our hometowns as well. Planting a garden on a roof top is a green job as it takes time and effort to do it. Hopefully, the expense will be worth the crop produced.

Just click on the image to enlarge it. Sometimes it may take two clicks. Either way, give it a try.

(Infographic by Jobvine Jobs)

Pretty cool right?

Green ….. as the green future unfolds.

The Greenest Energy is the Energy That We Do Not Use

It seems like everyone is complaining about the size of their monthly electric bill, from companies to homeowners to renters. But how many people actually have an idea how they accrued their kWh (kilowatt hours), and even more importantly, what they can do about lowering them?

The solution is getting insight and control over our plug loads – the amount of energy consumed by our plugged-in devices. In the United States an estimated $10 billion (100 billion kWh) per year is wasted on appliances that are left on, or that are left plugged in, all the while consuming energy. Standby power consumption single handedly contributes to 10% of residential use nationally, and more than half of all the energy used in buildings is outside of office hours, which tells you that our systems and habits are simply not efficient.

In 2007 Plugwise launched their first smart-plug in The Netherlands, and buildings and houses using the devices were quickly seeing plug loads drop by up to 50%. Although widely used and praised throughout Europe, Plugwise products have not been available to Americans until now, via their California distributor kWh Power.(http://www.kwhpower.com)

“We don’t realize what it costs to leave devices plugged in. From phone chargers to home entertainment and lighting systems – even when you are not using them they are consuming energy. People are basically burning money without realizing it,” says Derek Fehmers of kWh Power.

Plugwise products help consumers and businesses save money by using a simple interface accessible via smart phone or browser that shows how much energy appliances are using and what this costs per hour. The user plugs their device into a Plugwise smart-plug, and a wireless system relays all information to the software. The software then allows users to program the plugs to turn off automatically when in standby-mode, or on set schedules. The plugs will be available at major retailers and can be purchased on the kWh Power website at a cost of $50 per unit, yielding a return on investment of 4-8 months.

In the next couple of months new products will be released that work together with the smart-plugs, including motion detectors that can trigger plugs and lights to turn on or off, wall switches that wirelessly communicate with the plugs, as well as temperature and humidity sensors that can trigger A/C and space heater units based on occupancy and presence in a room.

All of you that have solar panels installed for your home. The combination of generating your own power, knowing the amount of energy you are producing, and seeing how that energy gets distributed amongst the appliances in key to understanding your system. Plugwise has the unique ability to measure in-and-output, so it will tell you what your plugs are using in terms of energy, but also what is coming in if you are generating your own power.

Plugwise …. as the green future unfolds.

When Too Much Plastic is Way Too Much Plastic

Fact: 20-25% of landfill weight is plastics. Landfills are one of the most common waste disposal methods in the United States today, with an overall increase in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) consistent with population increase.

In the 1960s, about 1% of MSW was made up of plastics. This has increased by 12% (30 million tons) in 2008. 43% of this is made up of plastic packaging, 22% made up by non-durable goods, and 35% consists of durable goods. Total? 11.3 million tons of just containers and packaging end up in landfills each year.

Plastic is going into landfills in alarming amounts, and is one of the hardest materials on the planet to break down properly. It doesn’t biodegrade – which means that natural bacteria are unable to break it down. What happens instead is a process called photo degradation, wherein the sun breaks it apart into smaller and smaller pieces – still plastic, by the way – eventually becoming individual molecules of plastic that just sit there and do absolutely nothing, still too tough for anything to digest. Landfills are filling up fast, and soon there won’t be any space left as the planet goes about wastefully and irresponsibly using plastics in everyday life.

Most people agree that the sensible solution to this problem is to reuse and recycle, and to do it well. By maximizing the use of plastics in our lives, using them and reusing them as many times as humanly possible, we lessen the amount of waste volume we throw out, thus lessening the amount going into landfills. Recycling the products by turning what plastic materials we already have on hand into ‘new’ products achieves more or less the same effect.

Another option is to use biodegradable plastic products in lieu of non-biodegradable ones. These are made from natural material and can be broken down naturally. Yet still another, but far more drastic, option is to live completely plastic-free, but most people find that this lifestyle is an exercise in futility, as plastic is literally everywhere nowadays.

In the end, the best solution is still to use plastic as responsibly as we can. Single-use plastic products like packaging, plastic straws and other disposable items are things that we can live without with a little ingenuity and some common sense. If we can somehow lessen the waste volume of these products being brought to the landfills, we’re probably doing the planet a bigger favor than we think. So think twice before you pick up that straw on your way from the counter at your favorite fast-food. Use reusable cloth bags to carry your purchases in. Mother Nature will thank you in the end. PlasticPlace.net makes garbage bags that are made out of 80% recycled material, doing its best in helping to preserve our environment. Make the responsible choice today, use Plastic Place. Visit their website at http://www.plasticplace.net.

SABMiller — Farming Better Futures

SABMiller, one of the world’s largest brewers, announced the launch of the first ever commercial-scale cassava-based beer, “Impala”.   The product would be brewed in Mozambique by SABMiller’s local subsidiary, Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM), and marked the latest step in SABMiller’s ambition to create a portfolio of high-quality, affordable beers made using locally-sourced raw materials for lower income consumers in Africa,

Impala is brewed using 70% cassava and is the result of several years of research to overcome the challenges of processing and brewing with cassava, which grows widely across Africa.

Mozambican farmers potentially produced more than enough cassava than was required for domestic consumption, but the surplus had never previously been used to brew beer because of the logistical challenge of collecting the roots from smallholder farmers who were widely dispersed, along with its rapid deterioration immediately after harvesting, the brewer noted.

SABMiller partnered with DADTCO (Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company), which pioneered an innovative solution in the form of a mobile processing unit (AMPU) which traveled to the cassava growing
regions and processes the root in situ, preserving the integrity of the starch.

The rural regions they are targeting are extremely poor and the farmers have previously struggled to sell more than a bag of cassava every two weeks. By creating a sustainable, vibrant market for their crops, buying from them direct and helping them to improve their yields, there is no doubt that this project will have a significant impact on their lives and the local economy.

Approximately 40,000 tonnes of raw cassava would be used annually in the production of Impala, creating new employment for over 1,500 smallholder farmers and their families.

Here is a video of their efforts:

I am truly amazed that this is a win-win for all involved. My hope is that the farmers of Mozambique are happy with this project.

Cassava …. as the green future unfolds.

May You All Have A Prosperous New Year!

How Fracking Can Destroy Your Well

First of all, just what is fracking? It is commonly referred to as “horizontal hydrofracking” or just “fracking,” deep-shale natural gas drilling uses high-pressure injection of water, sand, and chemicals to release the trapped gas. Now we all know that natural gas is environmentally friendly. But at what cost?

Chemicals used in the process are kept secret from the public, medical professionals, and even regulators, because fracking is exempt from key provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Every time a gas well is fracked, 4 to 9 million gallons of water are injected into the ground.

When the fractures creating by fracking intersect with existing cracks in the ground, chemicals and gas can “catch a ride” on underground streams, and wind up contaminating drinking water sources. In places affected by fracking, many residents have become sick from dangerous levels of volatile organic compounds, chemicals, and methane gas in their water. Methane gas is also responsible for the phenomenon of flammable tap water, and has even caused houses and water wells to explode.

Since this combination is really not good for the shortage of potable water across the world, there should be some other way to extract natural gas. Think about it. If you pump all of the above into the underground, then whatever damage has occurred, it is forever.

I know that in Texas, this is widespread. Just around where I live, there are approximately 15 natural gas wells that are monitored daily. Many water wells that current residents close to have been fractured due to this process. The drilling companies have had to hire water drillers to either fix the well or drill another one. Hmmmm, makes you think whether or not the water is good or not after that.

In the 121-page draft report released by the EPA said that the contamination near the town of Pavillion, Wyo., had most likely seeped up from gas wells and contained at least 10 compounds known to be used in frack fluids.

Some of the findings in the report also directly contradict longstanding arguments by the drilling industry for why the fracking process is safe: that hydrologic pressure would naturally force fluids down, not up; that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface; and that the problems with the cement and steel barriers around gas wells aren’t connected to fracking.

Finally, the EPA is doing what it is supposed to do. Exposing the drilling industry nasty little secret.

What can you do? Take action today by signing the petition to tell President Obama to ban this now.

Fracking … as the green future unfolds.

May Your Home Be Filled With Laughter And Joy!

The Tianjin Eco-City: The New Wave of Green Living

As a culture we have become obsessed green living, and rightfully so. The amount of waste we have produced through our industrialization has greatly impacted our world’s natural balance and is literally sucking the life out of the resources that we have at our disposal. Decisions such as paper or plastic are becoming more crucial and simply switching your light bulbs to incandescents isn’t enough anymore.

People are now moving to build homes that are completely green, made of recyclable materials and run on solar power. Others are learning to recycle rain water and invest in geothermal technologies to power their homes. Communities as a whole are trying to become more sustainable, and even the state and federal governments are handing out incentives to do so. However, perhaps the biggest development in green living is the creation of the eco-city.

Tianjin Eco-City, located in China, is a 30 square kilometer city that will don the most premier green technologies in the world. Located just minutes from the Tianjin Economic-Development business parks, the community, which will house nearly 350,000 residents, will provide a quick commute and an escape from the pollution in which China suffers terribly from. The Eco-City will even have its own dedicated light rail system to reduce the number of cars on the road.

Designed by the Surbana Urban Planning Group, the Tianjin Eco-City should be open in 2020 and will be the first of its kind. In addition to solar and wind power technologies, the community will also utilize rainwater recycling, waste-water treatment, and desalination of sea water to create a completely sustainable community. Within the Eco-City, residents will also be able to enjoy various eco-landscapes such as a sun-powered solarscape and a greenery-clad earthscape. There will also be several public green spaces for regular enjoyment and leisure time.

Perhaps the most unique feature of the city is its layout. The city will feature 7 distinct areas: a Lifescape, an Eco-Valley, a Solarscape, an Urbanscape, a Windscape, and Earthscape, and Eco-corridors. Each area will serve a purpose that is specifically designed to aid in the city’s overall sustainability. The Lifescape, however, will be the only section of the 6 to provide a green area to offset the living and commercial areas in the other 6 sections.

While the Tianjin Eco-City is years from being completed, it is still a strong indicator of where green living and development is headed. As we strive to create the most sustainable living situations possible, we can expect to see sustainable power supplies, recyclable building materials, and reusable items become more of our everyday norm. In another decade, a city like Tianjin Eco-City may even become the new norm.

Tianjin Eco-City …. as the green future unfolds.

A Green Search Engine That Can!

Have you ever thought of using a search engine for items you need for around the house, instead of paying full price at a box store, look at this site? Imagine the savings you could get during these tough economic times.

ecofreek.com is a search engine that searches the web for free and ‘for swap/trade’ items people no longer need or want from over 45+ major sources, providing the most diverse and accurate results anywhere in the world.

Also included are items for trade like books, sports equipment, antiques, automobiles, bicycles, motorcycles, CDs/DVDs, computers, property, seeds/gardening supplies, and lots more (including pets looking for new homes).  They also encourage people to exchange and re-use items though their search engine and also ‘places to give things away’ section. Feel free to recommend them new resources as well, they have a section to link to other environmental/green sites. Search engines also help you in getting you traffic.

The have over 10,000 libraries worldwide for free and swappable items being given away by people who no longer need them. Are you game to try it out? Please let me know how you fared.

I hope you enjoy your experience at their site and they welcome any and all feedback.

Search engine … as the green future unfolds.

Water Tube™ Saves Water and Plants

Water Tube™ at work in Tropical Queensland

This is a pretty cool product that has been around since 2000 but I thought it needs to be brought out to the forefront. With the droughts going on around the world, this would certainly help plants, some crops and trees that are dying under the conditions they are currently under.

The Water Tube™ is made from very strong polyethylene and will stand up to a lot of wear and even re-use on another plant.

It is 100% recyclable, it is easy to install, it saves water, it saves your time, and it will save your plant. When a plant is protected and nurtured by a Water Tube™ it grows faster, it thrives and you gain the most benefit from your efforts to grow plants and trees.

The company strives to:

• Contribute to water conservation in all communities.

• Build well known and trusted global brands.

• Enhance the natural environment.

• Grow the business through distribution arrangements in all regions of the world.

Water Tube Pty Ltd is part of the NSW Government’s Australian Technology Showcase; is a member of the Australian Trade Centre in Melbourne; a member of the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and is encouraged by the support provided by the Australian Government – Austrade.

Have you seen anything like this before? Even still, this product has certainly met all environmentally friendly needs/specs. I like it!

Water Tube™ ….. as the green future unfolds.