A Message from Michael

Love him or hate him, he makes sense…

Friday, December 12th, 2008
Friends,

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers start building
only cars and mass transit that reduce our dependency on oil.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers build cars that
reduce global warming.

They could have given the loan on the condition that the automakers withdraw their
many lawsuits against state governments in their attempts to not comply with our (more…)

Now here is something that can be used today and not spend a kaboodle of
money to get it implemented!

GreenSmith launches Backup Battery for Grid

December 5, 2008 – Exclusive By Emma Ritch, Cleantech Group
Washington D.C.-based GreenSmith Energy Management Systems unveiled technology it says
can solve the peak demand problems of U.S. utilities.

CEO Rodney Smith said the company has designed a battery control and management system
that, when paired with lithium ion battery GreenSmith acquired from a manufacturer
overseas, can store 20 kilowatt-hours at a time and provide between 3,000 and 4,000
full-discharge cycles.

The idea is that utilities could charge the battery when it’s cheaper to produce energy,
such as in the middle of the night, and could discharge that energy onto the grid when
it’s most expensive to produce power. (more…)

Vu1 Technology introduces Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ Lighting Technology

Let me start out by saying that if you think you have all the energy efficient
lighting figured out…..   OH, No Grasshopper!

It is neither incandescent, fluorescent nor LED. Vu1 has been quietly developing
an alternative technology, and the lighting industry might be on the verge of a
genuine shakeup. Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) Lighting Technology is an
entirely new, energy efficient lighting technology.

ESL Lighting Technology uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor to create
light, making the surface of the bulb “glow”.  ESL Technology creates the same light
quality as an incandescent but is more energy conserving. There is no use of the
neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process. (more…)

Starbucks addresses water wastage following tabloid indictment

Following the revelation in British rag-mag The Sun that constantly running
dipper wells waste a humongous amount of water, a Starbucks spokesperson confirms, “Stores will be instructed to switch off the dipper well tap and will wash
spoons after use.” And the plot thickens: According to PRWeek.com, a senior-
level source at an unnamed PR agency claims, “We warned [Starbucks] several
years ago that their usage of water was not good for their environmental
credentials and could be a potential problem for them. They listened, but
they didn’t do anything about it.” Starbucks has tried to polish its green
image, saying that by 2010 it wants to source 50 percent of its energy from
renewables, use green-building practices in all new stores, and “reestablish” (more…)

Bostonians might be the only ones who gained from the summer’s record high fuel prices.
In an effort to save fuel and lower emissions, the city piloted a program that shortened
red lights to reduce the amount of time cars sat idling. The test was such a success that
Boston is now considering expanding the program to the rest of the city.

The results, released last week, show that shorter red lights will help Boston’s drivers
regain 135,000 hours each year that would normally be wasted waiting for a light to turn.

Traffic delays during the 60-intersection trial decreased 29 percent, while vehicle (more…)

Research and development in the area of OLED’s has been fast and furious
in the past few years. Numerous universities and corporations have leaped on
this exciting green innovation. OLEDs are organic light-emitting diodes,
organic because it relies on carbon-based polymers and molecules rather than
inorganic semiconductors such as silicon (like the standard LED.

Even the U.S. Department of Energy has jumped into the fray, which reports
approximately 22 percent of the electricity consumed in the United States goes
toward lighting. It’s a $58-billion-a-year bill and growing.  Through its
solid-state lighting research program, the energy department hopes to develop
commercially acceptable lights that will need 50 percent less electricity (more…)

March 2008

What’s left of Greensburg State Bank built in 1989 is getting demolished.
Dee Corns, employee and wife of the Bank President tells of rebuilding the
bank in the same location.  They will build green using eco-block (icf).
There was a lot of material reclaimed from the bank before the demo
started.

Robert Mitchum, city council member, discusses who might be mayor. (more…)