Alexander J. Casella – Good bye old friend. It was a great 30 years

Posted on March 18, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

I started in the anti-nuke tradition in the Prairie Alliance when I was 14 years old. We marched and protested a lot against Clinton Nuclear Power Plant. When I turned 19 some of us filed lawsuits against rate basing cost overruns. Those suits wound through the courts for years. The first one coming in against Clinton in 1978, the year I met Al at what was then Sangamon State University. The first time we talked and I told him what I was into, he laughed and said, “What does that have to do with Public Policy.” I was a Psych. student then and it kinda pissed me off. But the more we talked the more I saw that it takes Public Policy well implemented to really change how we treat the Earth. Thank God he lived to see Obama elected. God speed Al.

Casella, Alexander J.

SPRINGFIELD – Alexander “Alex” Joseph Casella, 69, died Thursday, March 5, 2009, at his home in Springfield.Alex was born August 10, 1939, in Taylor, PA, the son of Alexander Joseph Casella Sr. and Josephine M. Cesare Casella. He married Thanawan Kohrianchai on July 1, 2001, in Springfield, Illinois.Alex grew up in Moosic, PA. He received a B.S. in Physics from Villanova University, an M.A. in Physics from Drexel University, and a Ph.D. in Physics from Pennsylvania State University. He began his professional career in 1961 as a Physicist for the U.S. Dept. of Defense at the Frankford Arsenal in Philadelphia. In 1969, he became a professor of Physics at Jacksonville University in Florida. Alex embarked on a 30 year career in 1973 with Sangamon State University/UIS as Professor of Environmental Studies and Physics. He became the Director of Energy Studies at SSU in 1975. From 1989-1996, Alex served as Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Administration. In 2002, he became Professor Emeritus, Environmental Studies and Physics.Alex was the producer and host of about fifty, half-hour interview shows on environment/energy issues starting in 1985. He also hosted two weekly interview shows, “Faculty Focus” and “Peace Talks.”Alex was a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, Illinois Environmental Council, American Assoc. for the Advancement of Science, Union of Concerned Scientists (IL Coordinator), Sierra Club, Charter Member of Better World Society and Worldwatch Institute. He served on numerous boards and committees, including Energy Consultants Associates, Earth Week 1990, Springfield Urban League, and Springfield Area Arts Council. He provided numerous testimonies to committees of the State of IL House and Senate in areas of Energy Policy and was the prolific author of articles, papers, lectures, and letters to the editor on numerous and sundry topics.A loyal supporter of the Democratic Party, Alex ran for Alderman of Ward 7 in 1999, victory narrowly eluding him by a mere 8%.

Among Alex’s great and varied interests was a love of photography, gardening, debunking myths with science, movies, the ocean, playing with his grandson, Italian food, sports and writing. He loved the performing arts, and even acted in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Of Mice And Men at the Springfield Theatre Center. Alex’s generous spirit, sympathetic ear, and pragmatic advice touched many people along his way. His children brought him great joy. He was very proud of his grandson, Jonah, and newly smitten with his baby granddaughter, Virginia. Alex also loved traveling and meeting new people. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the United States. It was during one notable trip to Bangkok in the fall of 2000 that he met and fell in love with Thanawan Kohrianchai.

Alex was preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Cynthia Norton.

Alex is survived by his wife, Thanawan; son, Christopher, Hermosa Beach, CA; daughter, Lara Parkes (husband, Michael), Springfield; grandson, Jonah; granddaughter, Virginia; nephew, Thomas Norton; nieces, Mary Jo Christiansen and Cynthia Warren; great-nieces and nephews, all of New Jersey.

Memorial service will be held from 5:00-7:00 p.m., Monday, March 16th at Kirlin-Egan & Butler Funeral Home, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield. Memories will be shared at 7:00 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Children’s Fund, 2821 Emerywood Pkwy, Richmond, VA 23294, World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th St., NW, PO Box 97180, Washington, D.C. 20090, Pattaya Orphanage Trust, www.thaichildrenstrust.org, or the charity of one’s choice.

Father, Husband, Teacher, Friend: Alex, we will miss you.

Please visit Alex’s online life story at www.butlerfuneralhomes.com to offer your condolences.

Published in The State Journal-Register on 3/14/2009

Energy Saving Gardening – What a lot of work

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Here is where we separate the real gardeners from those with a passing interest. This one word scares the bejesus out of most people who are unfamiliar with the process. CANNING. But modern appliances and some shortcuts have made it a lot easier to do.

http://www.homecanning.com/

www.pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

foodsafety.psu.edu/canningguide.html

http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general.html

There are BOATLOADS of places that push canning and other cooking methods of food prep for long term storage. This takes energy, and your bills will reflect it. But when you add up those bills and compare them to what you save on your food bills, you will save a ton of money. Plus you are not drinking oil. IT’s healthy. But it is hot and it is a lot of work.

General Canning Information

How Canning Preserves Foods

The high percentage of water in most fresh foods makes them very perishable. They spoil or lose their quality for several reasons:

growth of undesirable microorganisms-bacteria, molds, and yeasts,
activity of food enzymes,
reactions with oxygen,
moisture loss.

Microorganisms live and multiply quickly on the surfaces of fresh food and on the inside of bruised, insect-damaged, and diseased food. Oxygen and enzymes are present throughout fresh food tissues.

Proper canning practices include:

carefully selecting and washing fresh food,
peeling some fresh foods,
hot packing many foods,
adding acids (lemon juice or vinegar) to some foods,
using acceptable jars and self-sealing lids,
processing jars in a boiling-water or pressure canner for the correct period of time.

Collectively, these practices remove oxygen; destroy enzymes; prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds; and help form a high vacuum in jars. Good vacuums form tight seals which keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.

OK, I need a canner? Why types are there?

Equipment for heat-processing home-canned food is of two main types–boiling-water canners and pressure canners. There are many other types which are NOT recommended by the authorities (see this page for more about obsolete and unsafe canning methods)

Most are designed to hold seven quart jars or eight to nine pints. Small pressure canners hold four quart jars; some large pressure canners hold 18 pint jars in two layers, but hold only seven quart jars. Pressure saucepans with smaller volume capacities are not recommended for use in canning. Small capacity pressure canners are treated in a similar manner as standard larger canners, and should be vented using the typical venting procedures.

Low-acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to be free of botulism risks. This is because botulism-producing bacteria produce spores that can survive boiling water temperatures, but are destroyed using a pressure canner with the appropriate time and pressure, which reaches temperatures between 240 and 250 degrees F. Low-acid foods include meats, dairy, sea food, poultry, all vegetables (except tomatoes) and many fruits (notably figs). Be sure to see this page for a detailed list of the Acid content of common fruits and vegetables.

Higher acid foods (and those which have been acidified and tested) that may be safely canned in a boiling water bath canner include jams, jellies, pickles, applesauce, apple butter, peaches, peach butter, pears, pear butter, spaghetti sauce without meat, tomatoes, ketchup and tomatoes.

Which Type of Canner Should I Get

There are advantages and disadvantages of Pressure and Boiling Water Bath Canners. Which is best for you depends upon what you want to can and your budget.

Water bath canners are faster for higher acid foods

Although pressure canners may also be used for processing higher acid foods, boiling-water canners are recommended for this purpose because they are faster. A pressure canner would require from 55 to 100 minutes to process a load of jars; while the total time for processing most acid foods in boiling water varies from 25 to 60 minutes. A boiling-water canner loaded with filled jars requires about 20 to 30 minutes of heating before its water begins to boil.

A loaded pressure canner requires about

12 to 15 minutes of heating before it begins to vent;
another 10 minutes to vent the canner;
another 5 minutes to pressurize the canner;
another 8 to 10 minutes to process the acid food; and, finally,
another 20 to 60 minutes to cool the canner before removing jars.

But Water Bath Canners cannot be used for meats, dairy, sea food, poultry, vegetables and many fruits.

And the food quality and storage time is better with a pressure canner. Because they get hotter (240F vs 180F-212F) pressure canners result in a better flavor and the ability for to store for a longer time.

A pressure canner can be used as a boiling water bath canner, just remove the gauge and weight. That way you have 2 canners in one!

Conclusion: Pressure canners cost more to buy, but ultimately, you can “can” more foods in them, store the foods longer, and use the same canner as a pressure canner or without sealing the lid, as a boiling water bath canner.

See this page for a selection of pressure canners at excellent prices, and this link for boiling water bath canners

You can also find free information about canners from the USDA in this PDF file (it will take a while to load!) about selecting and using canners here!

One of the few get to it guides:

http://www-podunk.com/home-canning-guide.html

Sugar and Salt

Sugar helps retain the color, shape and texture of canned fruits. Sugar is usually added as a syrup. To make syrup, pour 4 cups of water into a saucepan and add:

2 cups of sugar to make 5 cups of thin syrup or

3 cups of sugar to make 5 ý cups of medium syrup or

4 1/4 cups of sugar to make 6 ý cups of heavy syrup.

Heat until the sugar dissolves. Make 1 to 1 ý cups of syrup for each quart of fruit. Up to half the sugar used in making syrup can be replaced with light corn syrup or mild-flavored honey. Fruits also can be safely canned without sugar. Pack the fruit in extracted juice, in juice from another fruit (such as bottled apple juice, pineapple juice, or white grape juice) or in water.Salt may be added to vegetables and tomatoes before canning. Since its only function is flavor, it can safely be omitted. Canning fruits and vegetables without adding sugar or salt does not affect processing times or microbiological safety.

Packing Instructions

The two methods of packing, food into canning jars are raw pack and hot pack. Raw pack is packing raw, prepared food into clean, hot jars and then adding hot liquid. Fruits and most vegetables need to be packed tightly because they will shrink during processing. However, raw corn, lima beans, and peas should be packed loosely, as they will expand. For hot pack, heat prepared food to boiling, or partially cook it. It should be packed loosely boiling, hot into clean, hot jars. Hot pack takes more time but has been found to result in higher quality canned foods. For either packing, method, pack acid foods including tomatoes and acidified figs to within ý-inch of the top of the jar. Low acid foods to within 1 inch of the top of the jar. After food is packed into jars, wipe the jar rims clean. Put on the lid with the sealing compound next to the jar rim. Screw the band down firmly so that it is hand-tight. Do not use a far wrench to tighten screw bands. There must be enough “give” for air to escape from the jars during, processing. Process food promptly after packing it into jars and adjusting lids. Processing times are given for pints and quarts. If you are using half pint jars, use processing times for pints. For one-and-one-half pint jars, use processing times for quarts. Fruit juices are the only product that may be canned in half gallon jars.

Processing in a Water-Bath Canner

Use a water bath canner to process acidified tomatoes, acidified figs and all other fruits. A pressure canner can be used to process acid foods but the quality will not be as good.

Fill the canner half full with water; then cover and heat. For raw-packed food, have the water hot but not boiling. For hot-packed food, have the water boiling

Using a far lifter, place jars filled with food on the rack in the canner. If necessary, add boiling water to brine, water 1 to 2 inches over the tops of the jars. Do not pour boiling, water directly on jars. Cover.

When water comes to a rolling boil, start counting the processing time. Keep water at a boil for the entire processing time. Add more boiling water to keep water I to 2 inches above jars.

As soon as the processing time is up, use a jar lifter to remove jars from canner. If liquid boiled out of the jars during processing, do not open them to add more. Do not retighten screw bands, even if they are noticeably loose.

Processing in a Pressure Canner

If you live at an altitude of 0-1000 feet you can process foods in a weighted gauge pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure. If you are using, a dial gauge pressure canner, use 11 pounds pressure. If you live at an altitude more than 2,000 feet you need to increase the pounds pressure at which you process foods. These increases are not given in this bulletin. Contact your county extension center to get this information. If tomato products are acidified, they can be safely processed in a water bath canner. If not, they must be processed in a pressure canner.

Here are some pointers for using a pressure canner:

Pour 2 or 3 inches of water in the bottom of the canner and heat to boiling.

Set jars on the rack in the canner. If you have two layers of jars in the canner, use a rack between them and stagger the second layer.

Fasten the canner cover securely so steam cannot escape except through the vent.

Once steam pours steadily from vent, let it escape for 10 minutes to drive all air from the canner. During, processing, the canner must be filled with steam, not air, since it is steam that reaches the desired temperature of 240’F.

If the canner has a weighted gauge, start counting the processing time when it jiggles or rocks. The target pressure for this type of canner is 10 pounds pressure. Adjust heat so that gauge jiggles 2 or 3 times a minute or maintains a slow, steady , rocking motion.

If the canner has a dial gauge, bring pressure up quickly to 8 pounds, then adjust the heat to maintain 11 pounds pressure. Start counting the processing times when the gauge registers 11 pounds pressure.

When the processing time is up, turn off the burner. (If you are using, a coal or wood stove, remove canner from heat.) Let the pressure in the canner drop to zero by itself. This may take 45 minutes in a 16-quart canner filled with jars and almost an hour in a 22-quart canner. If the vent is opened before the pressure drops to zero or if the cooling is rushed by running, cold water over the canner, liquid will be lost from the jars.

When the pressure has dropped to zero, open the vent or remove the weighted gauge. (With a weighted gauge canner, pressure is completely reduced if no steam escapes when the gauge is nudged or tilted. If steam spurts out, pressure is not yet down.)

Remove canner cover carefully, tilting it away from your face so that the rising steam cannot burn your face or hands.

Remove jars from canner. If liquid boiled out of jars during processing, do not open jars to add more liquid. Do not retighten screw bands, even if they are noticeably loose.

Place hot jars upright to cool on a towel or rack. Leave space between them so air can circulate. Keep jars our of drafts.

Check Seals

Vacuum seals form as the jars cool. When jars are cool (12 to 24 hours after processing), check the seals. If the lid is depressed or concave and will not move when pressed, it is sealed. If sealed, carefully remove screw bands. If a band sticks, loosen it by covering, it for a moment with a hot, damp cloth. Bands left on jars during storage may rust, making later removal difficult. If you find an unsealed jar, do one of the following:

Refrigerate the food and use it within 2 to 3 days.

Freeze the food. (Drain vegetables before freezing.)

Reprocess the food. Remove lids, empty the contents in to a pan, heat to boiling, pack into clean, hot jars, and put on new lids. Process again for the full time. The eating quality of twice-processed food may be poor. If more than 24 hours have gone by since processing, throw out the food. It might be unsafe to eat.

I live in growing zone 5 which will not mean much to nongardeners. Draw a line from New Jersey to Central California. Draw another line from Georgia to Somewhere in mid Salinas Valley California and you just about have it. I bring this up because corporate foodies will say that when the garden harvest comes in, it comes in at the same time. So you will have thousands of canners firing up at the same time. This is a waste and they can do it “au masse” cheaper, faster and more efficiently. Of course then they have to transport it….AHHH they don’t really have an answer for that because shipping is not their cost. It is an externallity. Which is why corporate america should be kept away from our food supply. Very Far From Our Food Supply.

Gardening To Save The Planet – It’s not just what you grow, it is what you do with it

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Every gardener gets to the point where the produce is overwhelming. I am not even talking about having more garden than you need. I mean I DO have more garden than I need BUT even one zucchini plant can fill a bushel basket towards the end of the season. Even a few tomato plants can leave you with a pile every week. It is the damnedest thing too, you can’t give them away because everyone else has the same problem…well you caaaan give them away but more about that later because it is kinda beside the point.

We are planting this garden to save energy. That is because corporate america has forced a food system down our throats that literally has us drinking oil (processing and transportation) for inferior food products. The additives alone consume enough energy to power America for years. What does that have to do with my produce? Fall will fall and winter will set in and then where are you going to get your produce from? That’s right the freedom from the corporate foodchain evaporates as you trudge back to the store dreaming of those green beans you gave to your mom. Who love’s yah now baby? So we need a way to store this produce until we need it. Basically we have to combat rot:

www.hubcap.clemson.edu

www.ipm.iastate.edu

www.caf.wvu.edu

Yes that is right just like poop, rot is stinky stuff that is hard work. But rot is our friend when it comes to poop on the garden and our compost pile. Rot here is bad though. There are many ways to combat food rot, that is to preserve the food until you need it later. You can dry, cook, or chill your food and that will slow down the mold and bacterial processes that degrade your food. Basically what we are talking about is securing the nutrients.

The Oldest method of preserving food is to dry it. This was brought home to me when my wife went mushroom hunting last spring. She took one of my string bags with her. Months later I used the bag for something else and this cute little morel fell out and hit the floor. It was perfectly preserved and hard as a rock. I guarantee that if I put it in water it would reconstitute a mushroom fit for cooking. The fancy pants phrase for taking the water out is dehydrating and the 37$ phrase for putting the water back is reconstituting or re-hydrating even worse. I prefer solar drying. The ingenuity of this is it is solar inputs (growing the food) and solar outputs (preserving the food). Not a drop of oil is spilled.There is a loss of nutritional value and taste/palatability in this or any preservation process, though there are some herbs that are actually better dried.

http://www.budget101.com/dehydrated_foods.htm

Drying is the oldest method of preserving food. The early American settlers dried foods such as corn, apple slices, currants, grapes, and meat. Compared with other methods, drying is quite simple. In fact, you may already have most of the equipment on hand. Dried foods keep well because the moisture content is so low that spoilage organisms cannot grow.

Drying will never replace canning and freezing because these methods do a better job of retaining the taste, appearance, and nutritive value of fresh food. But drying is an excellent way to preserve foods that can add variety to meals and provide delicious, nutritious snacks. One of the biggest advantages of dried foods is that they take much less storage space than canned or frozen foods.

Recommended methods for canning and freezing have been determined by research and widespread experience. Home drying, however, does not have firmly established procedures. Food can be dried several ways, for example, by the sun if the air is hot and dry enough, or in an oven or dryer if the climate is humid.

With the renewed interest in gardening and natural foods and because of the high cost of commercially dried products, drying foods at home is becoming popular again. Drying is not difficult, but it does take time and a lot of attention. Although there are different drying methods, the guidelines remain the same.

Although solar drying is a popular and very inexpensive method, Illinois does not have a suitable climate for it. Dependable solar dehydration of foods requires 3 to 5 consecutive days when the temperature is 95 degrees F. and the humidity is very low. The average relative humidity in central Illinois on days with 95 degrees F. temperatures is usually 86 percent. Solar drying is thus not feasible.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2003-06-01/Choosing-a-Food-Dehydrator.aspx

DAVID CAVAGNARO

Home-food dehydrators fall into two categories: those with stackable trays, and those constructed of a rigid box with removable shelves. Size is a factor; most fit on a countertop, but larger models are free-standing and require more space. Some models have base-mounted fans that move hot air vertically; one has a rear-mounted fan for moving air horizontally; yet another uses convection drying, with no fan at all.

I put these four different models through their paces during the peak of the humid harvest season here in Iowa. Each dehydrator dried lots of herbs and vegetables with comparable ease, but the fleshy crops, like tomatoes and peaches, put the dehydrators to the ultimate test, determining their maximum capacity, efficiency and overall effectiveness.

(dotdotdot)

All of the dehydrators I tested have their appropriate applications, and all performed well under most conditions. Determine your needs, space limitations and budget before you buy. When it comes down to preserving food flavors and quickly drying fruits, vegetables and meats, especially when fully loaded and under humid conditions, the Excalibur Large Garden model won my highest praise. Its rear-mounted fan, in my experience, simply did the best job.

There are some special concerns with fruit:

Food Drying Principles

Dehydrating your own produce does require time and some knowledge of food drying principles.

Preparation

Select the best fruit and vegetables! As with canning and freezing, dehydrated foods are only as good as the fresh fruit or vegetables. When selecting fruits and vegetables for dehydration, choose ones that are ripe, unbruised and at peak-eating quality.
Prepare foods to be dehydrated as you want them to be served. Apples, for example, may be sliced, cut into rings, or pureed for fruit leather.
Keep pieces uniform in size and thickness for even drying . Slices cut 1/8 to 1/4-inch in thickness will dry more quickly than thicker pieces.
Some foods should be washed before drying. Foods such as herbs, berries and seedless grapes need only be washed before dehydrating.

After Drying (for fruit only)

Allow dried FRUIT (not vegetables) time to “condition”: When dry, allow fruit to “condition” for four to 10 days before packaging for storage. The moisture content of home dried fruit should be about 20 percent. When the fruit is taken from the dehydrator, the remaining moisture may not be distributed equally among the pieces because of their size or their location in the dehydrator. Conditioning is the process used to equalize the moisture. It reduces the risk of mold growth.
To condition the fruit, take the dried fruit that has cooled and pack it loosely in plastic or glass jars.
Seal the containers and let them stand for 7 to 10 days. The excess moisture in some pieces will be absorbed by the drier pieces.
Shake the jars daily to separate the pieces and check the moisture condensation. If condensation develops in the jar, return the fruit to the dehydrator for more drying.
After conditioning, package and store the fruit as described below.

Now you know why they call it dry wine….

Open Yucca Mountain – As an antinuke person the sooner we get rid

Posted on March 11, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

of the hot garbage they produce, the quicker we get rid of them. Geologic storage is the only hope. I know I am supposed to be posting about gardening…but somethings I just gotta get off my chest..!

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-nuclear-waste-11-mar11,0,5164994.story

Nuclear waste has no place to go

Obama budget kills Nevada storage site

for used radioactive fuel rods piling up near power plants

By Michael Hawthorne |Tribune reporter

March 11, 2009

In a pool of water just a football field away from Lake Michigan, about 1,000 tons of highly radioactive fuel from the scuttled Zion Nuclear Power Station is waiting for someplace else to spend a few thousand years.

The wait just got longer.

President Barack Obama‘s proposed budget all but kills the Yucca Mountain project, the controversial site where the U.S. nuclear industry’s spent fuel rods were supposed to end up in permanent storage deep below the Nevada desert. There are no other plans in the works, meaning the waste for now will remain next to Zion and 104 other reactors scattered across the country.

Obama has said too many questions remain about whether storing waste at Yucca Mountain is safe, and his decision fulfills a campaign promise. But it also renews nagging questions about what to do with the radioactive waste steadily accumulating in 35 states.

With seven nuclear plant sites, Illinois relies more heavily on nuclear power and has a larger stockpile of spent fuel than any other state. Besides Zion near Lake Michigan, plants storing waste are sited along the Illinois, Rock and Mississippi Rivers.Customers of ComEd and other nuclear utilities have shelled out $10 billion to develop the Yucca Mountain site in spare-change-size charges tacked on to electric bills. Most of that money will have been wasted, and experts forecast that billions more will be spent on damage suits from utilities that counted on the federal government to come up with a burial ground

Garden To Save Energy – How to rev up the veggies

Posted on March 9, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

OK so you have picked the site for your garden. You have picked the size of your garden. You have turned the soil for your garden. You have sent your soil off to be tested by the Ag extension office (if you are in the USA). There are a couple of things that you can plant now that are soil indifferent while you are waiting for the test results. The list includes most roots, like carrots, potatoes, turnips, radishes, and parsnips to name a few. All the roots care about is that the soil is well worked – no stones, no clumps and broken up deep. The onion family will grow almost anywhere any time. This is also true of the leafy vegetables. From lettuce to kale to spinach they all can be planted early and often. Sandy soil is the one thing that negates all that I have said so far. Because it drains fast and has few nutrients. But you can see whether your soil is too sandy just by looking at it.

Today I want to discuss 2 factors to keep in mind at this stage of your gardening, besides saying that you will make mistakes and nature will deal you a bad hand at times. It happens to all of us. 1. Assess your tastes. Tastes change over time and if you have never had the plant that you are growing FRESH, get fresh and try it. In my case, I had never had fresh spinach. I had grown to quickly hate the canned spinach dished out by mom and the school cafeteria, thus I thought all spinach tasted like that. Boy was I wrong! Fresh spinach rocks. I have gotten to the point where I cook with it alot too but it takes practice.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/06/04/earlyshow/living/recipes/main2883739.shtml

(CBS) When the editors of Taste of Home magazine asked their readers for submissions for their Garden Bounty recipe contest, they were inundated with all manner of delicious dishes, from appetizers to salads to vegetarian entrees to fruit-laden desserts.

After reviewing all the recipes, they found their winner: Kathryn Pehl, the third 2007 Taste of Home contest winners to appear on The Early Show. Katie hails from Prescott, Ariz., and the judges could not resist her Spaghetti Squash with Red Sauce, especially her flavorful tomato sauce, which is served over spaghetti squash instead of the usual pasta.

If you’re interested in participating in a Taste of Home recipe competition, the next contest is “Corn is King.” You can also still submit a recipe for Slow Cookers. To get more information, click here.

2. Every “GOOD” gardener will tell you to buy plants at a greenhouse or a garden center for great production. But think about it. The main reason this Site is discussing gardening is to SAVE energy. If the greenhouse grew their plants from seed, fine. But a lot of places truck their plants in…and that is kinda missing the point. I urge people to start there plants from seed where and whenever they can:

http://www.yougrowgirl.com/grow/seeds_veg.php

A Beginners Guide to Vegetable Seed Starting

by miss gard(e)ner Inhabit Hardiness Zones 5 through 8?
Ready to start your growing season?
The much anticipated moment has arrived.

Planning

Keep the following in mind when planning your garden:

Climate:

Space limitations:

Domestic habits:

Production levels:

tomatoes

Aesthetic desires:

Seed Sowing Schedule

This seed starting chart will help you figure out exactly when to plant different seeds.
First, determine your region’s frost-free date. Ask your local plant nursery or gardener neighbor. Alternatively, check out–www.almanac.com. The reality of weather makes an `exact’ date rarely exact. Keep in mind the forecasts for your region. A colder, longer winter? Push the date forward a few weeks. As they say, better safe then sorry.

Or the millions of other sites set up for this:

http://ezinearticles.com/?Starting-Vegetables-Indoors-from-Seed&id=479111

http://www.vegetablegardeningguru.com/seed-starting.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_12174_start-vegetable-seeds.html

This early in the game you can do other things to save energy, like starting a compost pile:

http://www.hribar.com/how-to-save-energy.htm

www.backyardgardener.com/compost/index.html

Compost heaps

There are several ways in which compost heaps can be made and various theories exist as to the way in which they should be treated. There are two important points which are essential for successful compost making and these are adequate drainage and aeration and sufficient moisture.

A compost heap is a necessary feature in the average garden. It provides a means of collecting the surprising amount of waste material which is gathered together during regular garden maintenance and it supplies the garden, or rather, the soil, with valuable organic matter. This organic matter fulfils several vital functions. It helps to improve the structure of the soil, especially the heavy clay types and the light sandy kinds. It encourages a vigorous root system and also acts as a sponge to retain moisture. Light, sandy soils tend to dry out rather badly and a high humus content is necessary to overcome this problem. Well-rotted composted vegetable waste can be used as a mulch around plants and between rows of vegetables where it will smother small annual weeds and prevent the surface soil from drying out badly.

Save water by using a soaker hose and:

http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/saving_water.html

Tips on Saving Water in the Garden

Collect rainwater and use a watering can instead of a hose. If you prefer to use a hosepipe, fit a trigger nozzle to control the flow. Water Butts for your garden can be purchased at Greenfingers Trading Ltd

Water your garden in the cool of the early morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.

If you water plants and shrubs too often their roots will remain shallow, weakening the plant. Leave them alone until they show signs of wilting.

Regularly weed and hoe your garden, to ensure that watering helps plants and not weeds.

Plant flowers and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy, pinks, lavender, buddleia and hebes.

Mulches such as wood chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving you both water and time spent weeding.

Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short. Even if the grass turns brown, it will quickly recover after a few days of rain.

Garden sprinklers can use as much water in an hour as a family of four uses in a day. If you use a sprinkler, many water companies require you to have a water meter fitted.

This can become a lifestyle if you let it and I do.

What Is The Most Environmental Thing You Can Do Right Now – It saves energy as well

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Plant a garden. You think I am kidding right. BUT if everyone on the planet who does not have a vegetable garden planted one, the world would change. Most products that you buy in the grocery store in America travel 1,500 miles…That’s a lot of gasoline products. All the produce, herbs and flowers you grow soak up carbon dioxide, especially sweet corn. Plus if you compost your garden waste you put that carbon directly into the soil where it will not be released. Plant a tree while you are at it. If all 7 billion people in the world planted a tree our problems would temporarily be over. Young trees soak up an incredible amount of carbon as they grow. Not to mention the health and well being benefits from working out doors and being away from modern stress inducers. Or the health benefits of eating good nutritious food. If you have kids teach them how to do it (it is no longer innate) and you will have passed along a valuable skill. Invest in an efficient refrigerator and a small efficient freezer to store your valuable products. This saves bunches too. If you are really adventurous invest in a dehydrator and a solar cooker or make your own. You save even more. By the time you are done heck you wlll amaze yourself at how much you have done. Seem impossible? NOPE, it starts with the first seed you plant. So lets get agrowing.

Getting Started:

Some of you are lucky to have year round growing conditions. As the world warms more of you will enjoy that perk. But where I live in Illinois it’s pretty much a 3 season affair. Today is March 6th and I plan on planting a row of peas and some lettuce and spinach. That will be dicey though and if we have an ice storm in April or early May it will be a wipe out. Such is life. If I get lucky I will be freezing sweet peas by the end of May. Here are some great sources for getting in the groove.

http://www.finegardening.com/

Planning Your First Vegetable Garden

March 5th, 2009 in Grow It, Live It

Ruth Dobsevage, editor

So you’ve decided to grow some veggies this year? Welcome to the club. Before you decide on what to grow or pick up a spade, you need to make some basic decisions about your garden’s location, size, and shape. Here are some things to consider.

Location
Walk around your property as you try to decide on a location for your garden-to-be.

Vegetables do best in full sun. You will get decent results with less than that, but in general strive for a site that gets at least six hours a day during the summer. Remember that sun patterns change dramatically with the seasons; a site that looks good in April may be too shady when the leaves come out.

Another factor to consider is proximity to your kitchen. You are more likely to check out your garden frequently if it is close to the house. My garden is maybe 30 feet from the kitchen door. When I need some parsley or mint, or maybe a few more tomatoes for a salad, it’s not a big deal to go out and get them.

If you have a choice, a flat area is better than a hilly one. A gently sloped site can work well, especially one that faces south or west.

What about water? You will most likely want a source close by, be it an outside tap, a rain barrel, or even a stream or pond.

Don’t despair if your lot is is very small. Even if you don’t see a way to create a separate garden area, you can probably tuck a couple of vegetable plants in somewhere: near the house or by the garage, perhaps. Or on the deck in containers.

Size and shape
For a garden of moderate size, aim for 400 square feet (20×20) to 625 square feet (25×25). You’ll have enough space to grow several different crops, but not so much that you’ll be overwhelmed. If even that seems daunting, start small. You can always enlarge the space later.

Gardens are generally square or rectangular, but they don’t have to be. You may want a different configuration to take advantage of sun patterns, to work around boulders, or just for artistic reasons. The plants won’t care if they are arranged in straight lines or curves.

Personally I pick any 10 x 20 ft area that is unshaded and jump in. Begginners should start smaller. But if you are going to grow peppers, squash, corn or tomatoes you need a lot of space. Just think, the bigger your garden the less grass to mow.

http://www.organicgardening.com/

The Beginner’s Guide to Organic Gardening

Gardening is not too complex. Almost all of us–probably in grade school–planted a seed in a cup of dirt, watered it, and watched it grow. But creating a garden that produces fresh food and flowers all season is not so elementary, especially to those who did not grow up gardening. So we’ve compiled this guide to the basics of organic gardening and the keys to success we’ve learned over the years. When you’re done reading, look at your thumb–you may see a tint of green that wasn’t there before.

No. 1 Plant Seeds

1. Make your bed. About three weeks before you are ready to plant, after the soil has dried so that it doesn’t clump when you pick up a fistful, sink a fork into the earth. Loosen it down to about 12 inches, add a half-inch layer of compost, and rake the surface of your garden until it has no weeds, dirt clumps, or big stones. Over the next three weeks, pull any weeds that come up. Raking and then letting the soil sit for a few weeks brings out weed seeds that were lurking in the soil.
For more information on garden beds, check out this article about raised beds and this video to see how to build a raised bed, or watch this video to see how to turn your lawn into a garden bed.

I am not going to copy all of this stuff. go and read it yourself. If you have never done it before this is essential reading:

Garden Design

Horticulture

Garden Design

Country Gardens

Gardening How-To

Herb Quarterly

Growing Edge

Water Gardening

Garden Compass

Don’t read too long though, that’s what winter or nightfall is for. Get out doors! NOW

The Climate March In Washington – I purposely did not want to post this until the event was over

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

People protesting in great numbers or with great effect comes and goes. There are 2 types of “marching in the street”. There is Cause Marching and there is Purpose Marching. These types of protests can draw people from all over the country and draw hundreds of thousands of people; or they can consist of 25 people and Al Sharpton Marching in front of the New York Times building. Sometimes those protests can escalate to riots. Most notably the Civil War Veteran’s protest that rankled Grant’s first Term in office and the Hay Market incident in Chicago. The Poverty March on Washington led by Martin Luther King was a more peaceful example. But the March Against Climate Change was not going to be one of those.

You could tell by the lack of activity on the internet and the preposterous claims by the organizers, that this was pretty much going to be a dud. I mean does no one think rationally about these things. The organizers thought that 10,000 people would come to DC and protest in early March? In the dead of winter? Maybe on a nice spring day but….So maybe 10,000 people came to the PowerShift09 Conference but didn’t want to freeze there butts off or maybe the conference was a bust too. Who knows? Nobody is really saying. But from the pictures and everyone’s estimates about 2,500 people showed up in the SNOW…What? Don’t they get the Weather Channel? All that having been said, here is how the regular media guys saw it:

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1882700,00.html

Despite Snow — and Irony —

a Climate Protest Persists

By Bryan Walsh / Washington

The call rang out through Washington early on the morning of March 2: the biggest act of civil disobedience against global warming in American history would not, in fact, be snowed out.

Environmental groups, led by Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network, had enlisted eco-celebrities such as Robert Kennedy Jr. and Bill McKibben and registered more than 2,000 youth protesters from around the country for a march on the coal-fired Capitol Power Plant, which supplies steam and cooled water to Congress. They planned to shut down the plant by peacefully blocking the entrances, a textbook act of civil disobedience for which many expected — perhaps eagerly — to be arrested. The message was simple: the burning of coal, which accounts for some 40% of U.S. carbon emissions, “is destroying the planet through global warming,” as Kennedy put it. America needs to get off coal, which supplies nearly half the country’s electricity, if it wants to have any hope of controlling its greenhouse gas emissions, and it should start with the Capitol plant. (See the top 10 green ideas of 2008.)

As it turned out, the action may have been almost too successful. On Feb. 26, just a few days before the protest, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate majority leader Harry Reid called for the 103-year-old plant to switch from coal to cleaner-burning natural gas, a move long pushed for by environmentalists but blocked by representatives from coal-heavy states. Protesters claimed an early victory. “Getting the plant to switch shows the power of popular pressure,” said Steven Biel, the director of Greenpeace’s global-warming campaign. But there was no doubt that by responding before the protesters hit the streets of the capital, Congress was simply moving one set of goalposts off the field.

This is how the organizers saw it. Please note that they only list three media sources. I call that a “big whup”

http://www.capitolclimateaction.org/

UNPRECEDENTED PROTEST

March 3rd, 2009

Yesterday thousands of people came together to offer an unprecedented example of mass protest and civil disobedience for the climate.

More than 2500 activists, many willing to risk arrest, successfully blockaded all five entrances to the Capitol Power Plant for more than four hours.

As impressive as that is, this action wasn’t just about this one coal-fired powerplant. The scale and the commitment of the participants was the biggest example yet of the kind of public support necessary to solve the climate crisis.

We aren’t going to stop global warming by just changing lightbulbs and driving hybrid cars. The only real solution is to come together and demand unprecedented change through unprecedented action.

And that’s exactly what happened yesterday.

Take a look at the media coverage of the action:

From the AP: Thousands rally for legislation on climate change

In Time Magazine: Despite Snow — and Irony — a Climate Protest Persists

On Alternet: Thousands Storm Capitol Hill in Largest Protest Against Global Warming

Victory: this is how to stop global warming

March 2nd, 2009

More amazing images from the largest mass civil disobedience for the climate in U.S. history where thousands of activists shut down the Capitol Power Plant. The only way we’re going to solve the climate crisis is by coming together and taking action. Like this:

Either way it looks sooooo cold. The only way to get warm was to go back to your hotel room and suck power.

“God has a sense of humor,” said protester Rhody Streeter, of Louisville, Ky., referring to the weather.

To All Cubs, Sox, Bears, Bulls and Chicago Sports Fans In General – Mike Nadel needs your help

Posted on March 2, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

OK I know that since I scrapped Weird Bird Friday I have only posted about Energy and Environmental Issues…BUT I spent the whole day tearing out nasty 50 year old insulation. There were thousands of mud hornets nests and wasp nests, along with some real live wasps. This was because there was an unsealed vent behind this 1950 paneling and very nasty filthy insulation full of dust. So the problem is fixed after 10 hours work and I am whipped. Energy Tough Love is sometimes a very tough dirty work. So….

My favorite sports writer and number 2 funny man Mike Nadel got terminated by the pukes at GateHouse News. Please go here to protest that:

http://www.gatehousemedia.com/

Tell the jerk faces they made a mistake.

But you can also help Mike. He started a website or Blog and he needs our help and support SOOOO if you would go there and show your support that would be great. It’s:

http://thebaldesttruth.blogspot.com

Here is a sample that I think shows his wit and charm. Please football players stay out of ocean going fishing boats. NOTHING ever good comes from it:

What’s up, Chicago?

^Since, first and foremost, I’m still a Chicago sports hack, it’s time to return to my roots with an update on what’s going on around town …

NORTH SIDERS

Bloody-sock boy Curt Schilling is telling people he wants to pitch for The Team That Championships Forgot, prompting the Sun-Times to ask readers: “What would Schilling look like in a Cubs uniform?”

The obvious answer: He’d look like an old, broken-down Cub.

There would be a sentimental reason to get him, I suppose. After all, it would be nice to have a current player who was an active big-leaguer when the Cubs won the ’45 pennant.

SOUTH SIDERS

People are doubting and dissing the White Sox again, which means they’re a pretty solid bet. Seems whenever they are supposed to be bad they end up being good (and vice versa).

Still, Sox fans can’t feel too good about their heroes’ chances if they have to rely on a pitcher – Jose Contreras – who is old enough to be Schilling’s dad.

BEARS

Jerry Angelo has a funny way of backing up his declaration that he needs to “fix” the QB situation.

Matt Cassel could have been had for a first-round draft pick. And several other quarterbacks, including Kurt Warner, could be had for nothing more than a pile of McCaskey moolah.

But no!

Kyle Orton, the QB Angelo says isn’t good enough, remains a shoo-in to return under center.

Though Orton isn’t an All-Pro, maybe Angelo finally has realized that the Bears’ receivers rank just a tad behind those Cassel worked with in New England and Warner threw to in Arizona.

Not that Angelo plans to actually bring in guys who can get open and catch the ball.

Good news, though, Bear Country … the GM is making progress in talks aimed at bringing back John St. Clair.

Super Bears, Super Bowl!

BULLS

One need not read between the lines to recognize that John Paxson is getting tired of Vinny Del Excuse. All one has to do is read the lines.

After Del Excuse told a large media contingent that the new players Paxson acquired would need time and practice to fit in, the GM told the Tribune:

“I don’t see that as a big issue. It would be great to have some practice time … but that’s not the reason we didn’t play well in New Jersey and Washington. We didn’t come out ready to play.”

Paxson didn’t need to say whose job it is to get the team ready to play.

In their most recent game, the Bulls made an amazing fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Rockets. The most amazing thing: Del Excuse actually let his best player off the bench during crunch time, and Derrick Rose responded by leading the rally.

Interesting how that works.

BLACKHAWKS

Young. Exciting. Fun. Successful.

Oh, and on TV, too.

Who’da thunk it?

Wind Turbines For The Home – Well for the first one it would have to be a really

Posted on February 26, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

really really really big home. Maybe a neighborhood or a subdivision. Still:

http://northernpower.com

Catch the Wind

…by discovering the Northwind 100! Northern Power’s 35 years as a wind industry leader has informed the intelligent, elegant and powerful design of our 100kW turbine.

Discover how the gearless direct drive technology, aerodynamically designed blades and SmartView Web Service create the ideal energy solution for your application.

Call us at 1 877 90 NORTH. We look forward to working with you to provide solutions for your energy needs.

What’s New?

New York Times article highlights the benefits of Northern Power’s turbines

Click Here

We Are Hiring

Northern Power’s team is expanding with many great opportunities

View Our Job Listings Here

100 Kw is a tad big for our little 850 sq. ft. house but please note THEY Are Hiring. These are the much bandied about “green jobs”. Who else is hiring? MacDonalds? Back to the more affordable turbines:

http://www.redriven.net/

No. 1 in Modern Energy

Over the past year, the term “going green” has conquered the world. The media and environmental organizations are promoting sustainability, persuading people to live ecologically conscious lifestyles for the sake of the environment and longevity of the planet. A green lifestyle is no longer just a necessity, but also a huge trend. People everywhere are challenging themselves to reduce their ecological footprint by recycling, shopping with reusable bags, reducing their hot water usage, and purchasing clothing made from environmentally friendly materials. [ Read More … ]

Almost everyone is doing something small to contribute to the sustainability of the environment. ReDriven wants everyone to take their passion for the environment a step further by considering a wind turbine. Very few people reflect on the environmental impact of their energy source. They may know that it their power source is bad for the environment but think of it as a necessity; everyone needs electricity. A wind turbine substantially reduces and almost eliminates the pollution and C02 emissions generated from a traditional power source, making them a great resource for people and communities looking to significantly reduce their environmental footprint. With a wind turbine, people are able to benefit from the convenience of electricity without substantially harming the planet.

This year, the United States Government passed the U.S. Renewable Energy Tax Incentive Extension, granting tax credits to people and businesses that purchase a wind turbine. The government believes that by allowing people easier access to diverse energy sources, including a wind turbine, energy prices will drop and businesses will be able to make an easy transition into more environmentally friendly production. Like many others, the government is recognizing the ecologically beneficial nature of the wind turbine, viewing them as an intricate and essential component of America’s future. By giving people and businesses tax credits for purchasing a wind turbine, they are encouraging them to live sustainably and creating more environmentally friendly jobs, thereby promoting a healthier and more ecologically friendly America.

Few people realize how damaging their traditional fossil fuel energy sources are for the environment. With the majority of citizens still using fossil fuels and not investing in a wind turbine, dangerous amounts of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, particulates, and mercury are released into the environment on a daily basis. The use of fossil fuels over a wind turbine not only hinders people’s well-being and health, but also contributes to green house gasses and global warming. It is imperative that all families and businesses consider the long term environmental advantages of the wind turbine. Unlike traditional fossil fuel sources, a wind turbine does not emit pollution while generating energy. Although, pollution is generated while manufacturing a wind turbine, once it is constructed it is emission and pollution free. After nine months of environmentally friendly use, a wind turbine easily pays back the pollution emitted during manufacturing. Additionally, a substantial percentage of a wind turbine is fully recyclable. A wind turbine is an ideal energy source for anyone looking for an environmentally friendly and sustainable electricity source.

It is clear that the environment is in a dire situation. People everywhere are clamoring to do their part in saving the planet but sometimes a carrying reusable grocery bags and recycling just isn’t enough. ReDriven wants everyone to consider replacing their energy source with a wind turbine. Taking energy from the natural environment, a wind turbine preserves the ecological system by eliminating pollution released during electricity production. A wind turbine is the future of energy generation and an excellent way for people to significantly reduce their ecological footprint.

Wind Power

Throughout the world, wind power is quickly gaining popularity. Even though wind power only accounts for 1% of the earth’s power, the number is continually rising as wind power gains ground as a profitable and effective energy source. Wind power electricity production has quadrupled over the past six years, with Denmark, Germany, the United States, and Spain, leading the pack. Denmark generates one fifth of its total electricity through wind power, which is the highest production rate in the world. The United States and European governments, businesses, and people are championing wind power, recognizing its affordability and beneficial effects on the environment. [ Read More … ]

Many countries are now investing in wind power over fossil fuels, causing the industry to grow substantially from year to year. ReDriven wants to supply people with the tools and knowledge they need to generate ecologically friendly electricity. Wind power does not produce air pollution while generating electricity, making it better for the environment than fossil fuels, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. With 20 KW, 10 KW, and 5 KW units, ReDriven have wind power turbines to fulfill all businesses, companies, and governments needs. Their modern and aesthetically pleasing wind power generators are an excellent and modern source of electricity for people looking for a cost effective and environmentally friendly energy source. People throughout the world are advocating for wind turbines and their positive effects on the environment. ReDriven is devoted to helping people purchase and attain wind power electricity sources.

In 1999, wind power only accounted for .1% of the United States’ total generated electricity. Over the past nine years, attitudes towards the environment have changed, causing wind power electricity to rapidly increase; wind power is now over 1% of the countries total electricity. With the rise of green living and the popularity of the “Planet Earth” documentary, people are no longer blindly polluting and countries and families alike are looking for more sustainable energy sources. The environment has become an internationally relevant topic that everyone is aware of. The government and environmentally conscious businesses and home owners are taking it upon themselves to consider more viable energy sources that are less harmful to the environment than traditional fossil fuels. Fortunately, they have found it in wind power; The U.S. Department of Energy has discovered that the abundance of wind flowing across the Great Plains has the ability to power the entire nation. That combined with the wind power produced by offshore turbines in the Great Lakes area guarantees an effective and sustainable means of providing the country with electricity. As time goes on, the environment will become an increasingly important political and social issue, causing the number of wind power turbines in the states to grow. This highly economic and environmentally friendly energy source will soon dominate the industry.

ReDriven realizes that wind power is the future of electricity. They are the leading American developer of wind turbines and offer 20 KW, 10 KW, and 5KW unit wind power turbines and a variety of tower options. All packages include generators, blades, flanges, grid controllers, inverters, and isolation transformers of differing sizes and powers, depending on the package ordered. Additionally, the height of the wind power turbine tower ranges from regular to hydraulic towers from 12 to 36 m tall. These modern and sleek wind power turbines are guaranteed to suit any natural landscape and produce efficient and environmentally friendly electricity. People concerned with the effectiveness and price of wind power turbines can log on to the ReDriven website to calculate the amount of energy that will be produced from the unit chosen. By filling out a form that takes into consideration average energy costs and consumption, wind speed, and other variables, everyone is able to see the potential effectiveness of their wind power turbine. ReDriven is an excellent resource for people looking to purchase and gain information on wind power.

Countries and people everywhere are searching for more sustainable energy sources and looking towards wind power turbines. With people becoming more environmentally conscious, wind power will become the electricity source of the future. ReDriven offers a variety of wind turbines to fulfill all corporations, governments, and personal needs. By logging on to their website, everyone is able to find out how wind power can work for them.

Wind Generator

Few people ever consider investing in an alternative energy source because they believe that new electricity generators are ineffective. Unfortunately, wind generators are still controversial and have a variety of insubstantial issues surrounding them. The reality is that a wind generator is an incredibly effective and environmentally friendly means to produce electricity and the majority of concerns surrounding them are incorrect and misleading. [ Read More … ]

2 KW Wind Turbine

Modern Energy

The ReDriven 2 kw wind turbine system is an excellent system for on-grid applications where 250 kwh -500 wkh of power per month will provide the necessary capacity to offset partially or fully the utility bill for your seasonal property or home.
[ Read More … ]

The ReDriven 2kw is a tailed unit that uses the wind direction to help it determine where best to capture the wind. This turbine head weighs approximately 116 lbs (53 kg) and comes with the ReDriven controller, a Power One Inverter, blades.

Product Features:

Start up wind speed is 4.4 mph
Rated wind speed (generate 2 KW) is 20.1 mph
Maximum power 2000 watts
3 blades measuring 3.2 meters in diameter
Recommended tower height is 9 meters

5 KW Wind Turbine

Modern Energy

The ReDriven 5 kw wind turbine system is the first in our line of non-tailed units. The technology found in the 5 kw ReDriven Controller is identical to the larger 10 kw and 20 kw units. Therefore you receive all the advantages of a larger unit packed into this ultra efficient power house.
[ Read More … ]

These folks even put a windmill on the lawn of the Federal Capitol Building. Way to go people:

http://www.windenergy.com

Bringing low-cost, reliable wind energy to the world

U.S. Federal government endorses small wind turbines with tax credit

New law gives up to $4,000 to consumers who purchase Southwest Windpower’s Skystream 3.7

Flagstaff, Ariz. — Southwest Windpower, the leading manufacturer of small wind turbines, played a leadership role in the passage of new legislation creating a federal-level tax credit for qualified small wind turbines.

Press Release | FAQs | Tax Form

We will finish the list up tomorrow.

A Prairie Home Companion – This farm family is energy secure

Posted on February 23, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Bob is part of a large family of farmers in Mason County and he has always had an interest in getting energy from his environment rather than from the utility company. I should say that the idea for this post is 2 fold. I recently posted another personal story when I was talking about water conservation. These stories I think are helpful. It makes it clear that people could live utility free if they only put out the effort. It is also the case that I have listed his property several times in the Catalog of Energy Efforts in Central Illinois thread on CES’ Bulletin Board “Refrigerator Magnets”. (Click on our home page, click on Refrigerator Magnets on the menu on the upper left hand corner, click on the general Board and then click on that thread to see the list.)

I first reported their property after being chastised by a Board Member for ignoring my home county of Mason for energy related things going on in Central Illinois. Bob had one of the first sophisticated solar applications I have ever seen. He used a 2 story tall plexiglas faced solar scoop to heat water and thus heat his huge hog enclosure. Not only that but they have a rammed earth house which is pretty cool in and of itself.

Recently as I was driving by Bob’s property I saw that they were tearing down the hog enclosure. So I posted an update that the property had lost some of its solar potential, but I added that that happens because things change. If they quit farming hogs then the solar system would no longer be functional. I guess I thought in my head that I hoped the solar system would find a new home or a new use.

Imagine my surprise when I drove by this spring and saw 36 solar photovoltaic Panels had been erected behind the hog house. They looked operational. Wow, Bob had gone from pioneer to not and back to pioneer again! Understand, that Bob’s property is on one of the main routes to my parent’s house in Mason City so imagine my surprise on my next trip when I saw that a wind turbine had been erected as well. I was so excited that I stopped and left a business card. Bob called me back and I tell you what, I have a huge amount of respect for this guy.

Now I am not going to get all this right, and I am not going to cover everything, But lets start with the 10Kw. Bergey Wind Turbine:

http://www.kansaswindpower.net/bergey_wind_generators.htm

http://www.genproenergy.com/bergey_wind_generators.html

Actually it looks more like this coming from Riverton:

The system also uses 36 Sharp 208 Solar Photovoltaic Panels:

http://www.solarelectricsupply.com/Solar_Panels/Sharp/sharp_SH-208.html

In what probably is a 20 ft x 40 ft. array. This array and the turbine are protected by Delta Surge Protectors:

http://www.deltasurgeprotectors.com/

Tied into a DC disconnect and an inverter system:

http://www.sma-america.com/en_US.html

Then run through an AC disconnect where it is finally “married to” the Utility Company’s power source (boo) in an integrated panel that has a meter that runs both ways:

http://store.altenergystore.com/Power-Panels/Solectria-Power-Panels/Solectria-PVI-5300-Assembled-Power-Panel/p6701/?source=froogle

This is not the exact one he used, but it is a good example. Finally it is circulated throughout his house and his farm. He is not offline. He has to run a grain drier in his storage bins. There are other big ticket items on farms that requires high power consumption like welders and vapor mercury lamps. But he said on a good day when his usage is low he loves to watch the meter run backwards. This is all made possible by a dealer/installer that Bob refers to as a lifesaver:

http://www.midstatepower.com/

Back to the rammed earth house, he says that they do not fear Tornadoes. They are surrounded by concrete walls. His daughter has a window, and they tell her if a storm gets bad to just come in and sleep with them (aaaahhh)…That’s amazing because almost everyone is afraid of tornadoes.