CES’ volunteers went to Starhill Forest Arboretum to help fill up its greenhouse.
http://www.starhillforest.com/
Guy supervised us.
We started with stuff like this.
And ended with this.
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More tomorrow
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It’s Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ1dPJt1K1g
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http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/10/07/google-warms-west-virginias-vast-geothermal-potential
The researchers calculated that if 2 percent of the available geothermal energy could be harnessed, the state could produce up to 18,890 megawatts (MW) of clean energy.
The study was conducted with more detailed mapping and more data points than had been used in previous research. For example, 1,455 new thermal data points were added to existing geothermal maps using oil, gas and water wells.
The research team found that most of the high-temperature points are located in the eastern part of the state.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jne9t8sHpUc
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“The presence of a large, baseload, carbon-neutral and sustainable energy resource in West Virginia could make an important contribution to enhancing the U.S. energy security and for decreasing CO2 emissions,” the report concluded.
Western Virginia is not a tectonically active zone, which has traditionally been seen as a requirement for economically viable geothermal power production and has resulted in most existing geothermal sites in the U.S. being located in the west of the country.
However, engineers reckon that emerging techniques could be used to harvest geothermal energy locked in tectonically stable regions. For example, pioneering technologies could be used to harvest hot geothermal fluids, along with oil or gas from the same well. Enhanced geothermal systems are also increasingly being used, in which fluids are injected into rock, replacing natural hydrothermal convection.
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The irony of this amazing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/science/earth/05fossil.html
With insurgents increasingly attacking the American fuel supply convoys that lumber across the Khyber Pass into Afghanistan, the military is pushing aggressively to develop, test and deploy renewable energy to decrease its need to transport fossil fuels.
Last week, a Marine company from California arrived in the rugged outback of Helmand Province bearing novel equipment: portable solar panels that fold up into boxes; energy-conserving lights; solar tent shields that provide shade and electricity; solar chargers for computers and communications equipment.
The 150 Marines of Company I, Third Battalion, Fifth Marines, will be the first to take renewable technology into a battle zone, where the new equipment will replace diesel and kerosene-based fuels that would ordinarily generate power to run their encampment.
Even as Congress has struggled unsuccessfully to pass an energy bill and many states have put renewable energy on hold because of the recession, the military this year has pushed rapidly forward. After a decade of waging wars in remote corners of the globe where fuel is not readily available, senior commanders have come to see overdependence on fossil fuel as a big liability, and renewable technologies — which have become more reliable and less expensive over the past few years — as providing a potential answer. These new types of renewable energy now account for only a small percentage of the power used by the armed forces, but military leaders plan to rapidly expand their use over the next decade.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, the huge truck convoys that haul fuel to bases have been sitting ducks for enemy fighters — in the latest attack, oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO troops in Afghanistan were set on fire in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, early Monday. In Iraq and Afghanistan, one Army study found, for every 24 fuel convoys that set out, one soldier or civilian engaged in fuel transport was killed. In the past three months, six Marines have been wounded guarding fuel runs in Afghanistan
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More Tomorrow.
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There answer in September was NO!
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/10/white-house-spurns-solar-panel/
September 10, 2010, 11:54 am
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The answer in October is YES! Wonder what changed?
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/122559-solar-panels-heading-to-white-house-roof
The Obama administration on Tuesday announced plans to install solar panels on the White House roof.
“This project reflects President Obama’s strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu in a statement. “Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economy for years to come.”
The action highlights Obama’s support for low-carbon energy at a time when environmentalists are smarting from the collapse of climate legislation — a bill that was not the top White House priority.
Chu and White House Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley announced the plan Tuesday at CEQ’s GreenGov symposium hosted by George Washington University.
The Energy Department-led project will install two White House solar systems — one that converts sunlight into electricity, and a solar hot water heater for the White House residence.
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More tomorrow
Google has this Feeling Lucky button that just sucks when it comes to energy issues. The company itself has a mixed bag. They helped push an energy fuel cell of a dubious nature by installing 3 of them on their main campus. They do like solar and wind and have both in operation or have bought energy from those sources. But this button is just rotten. I am usually bored with posting when I do this now, but in the beginning I was excited. I know you say, “How could Doug be bored with the exciting field of residential conservation”? I guess I want another oil spill or maybe Russia to catch fire again. Sick isn’t it. The first three you get if you used the regular search are not much better:
www.ServiceMagic.com Get an Energy Audit For Your Home. Free Auditor Listings. Search Now!?
www.Dow.com/HealthyHome Show Us How By Sharing a Video. Win A Renovation Makeover Package!
www.energyefficientbuilders.com Green construction & contracting Save 50-80% on heating and AC
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I mean DOW?
And too my surprise you can not even use the get lucky button anymore. Really? Why do they even have it up there. Apparently the “read your mind” algorithm they just introduced broke the get lucky thingie because as soon as you type in a single letter that option goes away. But when you just click on it empty it thinks you want to get lucky about the google LOGO. These people are dorks.
http://www.businessinsider.com/google-just-effectively-killed-the-im-feeling-lucky-button-2010-9
The good news is that in the process, Google added at least another hundred million dollars in revenue.
It used to be that you could go to Google.com, type a search query into the search box and then, by clicking “I’m feeling lucky,” go directly to the page that would have been listed as the top search result.
But then today happened, and Google announced “Google Instant.” Now, when you go to Google.com and start typing a search into the search bar, Google instantly begins showing search results. Users no longer have a chance to click the “I’m Feeling Lucky Button” before they begin seeing search results. Yes, the button is still there on Google.com – but essentially, the feature is dead.
So, how does killing the “I’m feeling lucky” button gain Google more than $100 million?
In 2007, Google search boss Marissa Mayer estimated that 1% of all Google searches go through the I’m Feeling Lucky button – skipping Google’s search results pages entirely
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http://earthbagbuilding.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/alternative-waterproof-membranes-for-living-roofs/
July 12, 2010 by Owen Geiger
There’s growing interest in living roofs or green roofs. The difficulty is deciding on the waterproof membrane. Rubber pond liner (EPDM) is the most waterproof and durable material, and the most common choice due to proven performance, but it’s also very expensive and made from nasty petro chemicals.
Living roof at Heartwood Homesteads
I think a number of less toxic, more affordable materials are possible, including recycled materials in good condition. One reader suggested pool covers. Heavy duty trucker tarps are another option. You could add 6 mil poly (plastic sheeting) underneath and/or above these other materials for extra moisture protection.
For my dome, I used 2-1/2 layers of 6 mil black poly and have had no leaks so far after about three years in a rainy climate. (The half layer is a small piece on the very top.) You need to cover 6 mil poly carefully to avoid punctures. Some use old carpet or cardboard against it while adding soil. (Screen out rocks.) In our case, we simply packed soil on the plastic, starting at the bottom and working up, with no protective cardboard, etc.
Recycled vinyl billboards are another possibility, but I wouldn’t use them because of the health hazards of leaching chemicals into the soil around the house.
Roof pitch is another consideration. Steep roofs shed water faster and are less prone to leaks. But you need to strike the right balance or top soil and nutrients will wash away, and your roof will dry out too quickly.
Another consideration is the value of the structure. It’s no big deal experimenting with alternative waterproof membranes on a simple $2,000 guesthouse. But you might want to use better materials or multiple layers on expensive homes.
Photo credit: Heartwood Homesteads
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More Tomorrow.
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But the links don’t work so well. The place in Springfield is the FitClub Gym.
Solar Tour Website:http://tour.illinoissolar.org/
To find the location of an open house near you click here:http://tour.illinoissolar.org/directory-of-buildings
If you have questions contact Lesley McCain atLesley.McCain@CommunityEnergyInc.com
Illinois Solar Tour
October 2, 2010
10 am – 3 pm
FREE
Interested in renewable energy and have questions? Then this is the place to start learning.
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More next week.
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This is a great site and this is just some of the discussion
http://www.permies.com/permaculture-forums/2414_0/alternative-building/alternative-roofs
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Go there to add your voice to the discussion. More tomorrow.
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But even with the subsidies and incentives it will cost you double. So you have to ask yourself, is buying the last roof I ever will purchase worth it.
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More tomorrow
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Not even close which as it should be. But when they picked the worst, they picked all third world countries. I mean really. Unless you have money no one wants to live in a third world country. What is the point? Also much of the pollution there is created by US corporations one way or another. Anyway.
http://blisstree.com/live/cleanest-and-greenest-places-in-the-world-71/
By: Noel
I delved deeper into the study done by Reader’s Digest as I have talked about in my previous post. After all, come the day I decide to go live in another country, I would certainly want to live in somewhere green.
As per the authors of the study, they said, “It’s an inescapable fact: People living in affluent countries tend to be better educated, enjoy a higher standard of living, live longer lives and have a brighter future. The downside: Their material wealth results in a larger carbon footprint.”
Anyhow, here are some of the top ten lists that you may want to know about as per the results of the study.
10 best countries
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Read more there. More here next week.
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Logged
For the past decade we have been telling homeowners and contractors about the many benefits of residential metal roofs. Now, we’re turning the tables, and asking you to tell us why you chose metal in our “Tell Us Your Metal Roofing Story” Facebook contest.