U.S. Energy Milestone

The U.S. is reaching incredible milestones when it comes to electric vehicles. They have to date installed over 1800 electric vehicle charging stations. This was marked by the 500th installation of the ChargePoint electric vehicle charging station in Los Angeles. This was the latest in the Thirty seven million dollar ChargePoint Ameica program. The program hopes to provide 4600 public and home charging points this year. By 2013 they hope to have installed 22,000 residential, commercial, and home charging points along wiht the deployment of 13,000 electric vehicles.

http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/4097/

SWEEP

The Southwest Energy Efficiency Project or SWEEP promotes greater energy efficiency in six states including Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. The program was founded in 2001 by Howard Geller who was an executive director for Energy Efficiency in Washington D.C. Sweep focuses mostly on utility energy conservation. Later transportation conservation was added. SWEEP is helping promote energy efficiency in the most booming states of the United States at this time.


For more information on SWEEP go to:
http://www.swenergy.org/

Energy Efficient India

Energy Service companies and local governments are teaming up to create clean energy and save money. The energy demand in India is expected to double by 2030 so many people are trynig to start early with energy conservation so that it doesn't become as much of a problem as it is for the rest of the world. In 2001 DSCLES worked with the New Delhi Muncipal Council on a high efficiency lighting pilot project that now saves more than 252,000 Kilowatt Hours per year. Their total savings from all of their energy efficient projects has amounted up to 325 million U.S. dollars or about 3.7 billion Kilowatt Hours.





To learn more about India's energy efficiency efforts go to:


http://www.wri.org/stories/2009/04/energy-efficiency-india-part-2

Heating Your Pool...Sun Style

Many pools are heated to keep the water at an ideal temperature during the summer months. Running a pool heater can be costly. A soloar heated pool system uses the pool itself as a thermal storage system and you can still use your original pump system which circulates the water through the solar collectors. This system can save you money and help reduce greenhouse gas emmisions.



http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/PoolHeating/pool_heating.htm

Ethanol Fuel

Ethanol is a clean burning, high octane, renewable fuel that is made in America. The use of ethanol reduces auto emissions and offers a cost cutting alternative when filling up at the gas pump. Ethanol is produced at over 175 different facilities across the United States. It is most commonly retailed as E10 ( 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline) but is also available as E85 which is 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline for use in flexible fuel cars. Ethanol is also helpful to our economy. It is predicted that ethanol will produce an additional 19.6 million dollars in household income and nearly 700 permanent jobs will be created in areas near ethanol plants. Since ethanol is made mainly from corn and other argricultural products, an inncrese in demand for these products will ooccur. One place where gas is an essential part of what happens is Nascar. Nascar is doing their part to go green by partnering with American Ethanol. Maybe someday we can all run our cars on ethanol but untill then, look for ethanol fuel or E10 in your city. http://www.ethanol.org/index.php?id=8&parentid=8

Thorium--The New Nuclear?

by: Morganne Williams



Thorium is much more abundant in nature than uranium and can also be used to provide nuclear energy. India is the only country that sponsers major research on the use of thorium for nuclear energy. Thorium is a slightly radioactive material that was first discovered in 1828 by the Swedish chemist, Jons Jakob Berzelius, he origianally named it Thor after the Norse god of Thunder. It has been discoverd that Thorium can be used as a nuclear fuel like uranium and can be used in a closed fuel cycle. With more research maybe eventually we can use Thorium as a safer nuclear energy alternative to Uranium.





For more Information go to:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf62.html

Ways to Conserve Energy- Part 1

By: Morganne Willams



There are many ways that we can conserve energy in many different places.

One place that you can conserve energy is In Your Home.



1.Clean or replace the air filters on your air conditioner at least once a month.

2.If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.

3.Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.

4.Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.

5.Turn off or shut down your water heater if you are going to be away for an extended amount of time.

6.Turn off uneeded lights in all rooms even if you are only leaving for a second.

7.Set your refridgerator at 36-38 and your freezer at 0-5.

8.When useing an oven minimize the amount of times that you open the oven door, because it reduces the temperature by 25-30 degrees.

9.Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load.

10.Unplug appliaces that are rarely used.

11.Use a microwave whenever possible instead of a conventional oven.

12.Wash clothes in warm or cold water when possible.

13.Reverse indoor ceiling fans n the summer and winter as reccommended.

14.Only use electric appliances when you need them.

15.Use CFL's to save money and energy.



For more tips and hints go to:

http://www.iamkarthik.com/172-ways-to-save-the-environment.html

Energy Effiecient Computer

By: Morganne Williams





For a growing crowd, energy efficient computers are a must have. If all of the computers in the United States were energy efficient we could reduced gas emissions by the equivalent of 2 million cars and save about $2 billion. If you don't have an energy efficient computer you can still save energy using the one that you have now by programming a sleep mode or turning it off when it is not in use.



For more information go to:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/sustainable/5-energy-efficient-computers.htm

Green Tax

by: Morganne Williams



Morocco is located in Northwestern Africa and is known as the region's leader in taking care of the environment. Lately though, the residents are experiencing environmental problems, such as air and water pollution and climate change. Fishermen along the coast are not reeling in as many fish as before and that is because of the massive amount of water pollution. In some places sewage is dumped into the ocean. What is the government doing to solve these problems? They are implementing a "green tax." They are begining to use a multi-billion dollar series of projects to help solve and put restrictions on pollution. These projects will also cause violators to pay a "green tax."



For more information on Morocco's "Green Tax" go to:

http://southasia.oneworld.net/globalheadlines/morocco-to-introduce-green-tax-for-polluters

Energy Flies out the Window!

by: Morganne Williams





Every year we loose about 33 percent of home heating and cooling energy through windows. You can now buy curtains that can save you up to 25 percent on your heating and cooling costs. Windows have the lowest insulation value in your home meaning that they loose more energy than walls or doors do. You can save $750 to $1,000 just by installing energy efficient curtains.



For more information go to: http://www.eclipsecurtains.com/eclipse-energy-saving-curtain-features.cfm

Lighting Your Home

by: Morganne Williams




One way to save energy is by replacing regular lightbulbs with CFLs. If every American replaced just one lightbulb in their home with a CFL we would save enough eneregy to light three million homes for a year and save about six-hundred million dollars.









For more information go to:




http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductGroup&pgw_code=LB

Save Water

by: Morganne Williams



There are many ways to save water but there is one that many people have not yet considered. While you wait fo ryour water to heat up, fill a glass or jar with the cold water to water your plants or trees. By doing this you are conserving the water that would have otherwise gone down the drain.

Energy Conserving Trees?

by: Morganne Williams



Many people do not realize that when they plant trees they are helping to conserve energy. The key to saving energy with trees is planting in the right place. Planting in the right place can provide shade, wind blocking, cool air, and the complete any landscaping. Trees that lose their leaves can provide shade for energy conserving because they conserve the use of the air conditioner. Pine and evergreen trees block the harsh cold winter winds from entering your house. Both types of trees directly cool the air in the summer because water evaporates from leaf surfaces cooling the air around it almost like when we perspire. Planting trees in the right place provides relief from the winter winds and the summer heat and also saves you money!

Wave Power in Ireland

by: Morganne Williams



In Ireland a new source of power is coming about. Have you ever thought of the ocean as anything but a place to swim or a home for sea creatures? Well, someone did!
In Ireland they are beginning to create energy from waves. According to CNET Ireland hopes to produe 75 megawatts of energy in 2012 and 500 megawatts in 2020. That is enough energy to power 70% of Ireland! The ocean can be used for many things and now it can be used for one more!

Electric Cars

by: Morganne Williams





Nissan has developed an all electric car, the Nissan LEAF. This car is 100% electric and this means no gas! No gas means no emissions. It can go about 100 miles per charge. This electric car can reach speeds of up to 90 miles per hour. You can fit five passengers throught the five doors. It can be compared to the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt however is not all electric. After about 40 miles the Volts chrage runs out and it switches over to gas. This may be a good thing since after driving 100 miles in the LEAF you might be stranded. The LEAF may be all electric but the Volt may be the better option.