Contents contributed and discussions participated by Jeff Johnson - Sustainable Energy

Engineering a Smart Grid For Energy's Future - washingtonpost.com - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009042602628.html

shared by Jeff Johnson on 01 May 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 01 May 09

The process, Current says, lets a utility more efficiently manage the distribution of electricity by allowing two-way communication between consumers and energy suppliers via the broadband network on the power lines. Based on data they receive from hundreds of homes, utilities can monitor usage and adjust output and pricing in response to demand. Consumers can be rewarded with reduced rates by cutting back on consumption during peak periods. And computerized substations can talk to each other so overloaded circuits hand off electricity to underused ones, helping to prevent blackouts.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The process, Current says, lets a utility more efficiently manage the distribution of electricity by allowing two-way communication between consumers and energy suppliers via the broadband network on the power lines. Based on data they receive from hundreds of homes, utilities can monitor usage and adjust output and pricing in response to demand. Consumers can be rewarded with reduced rates by cutting back on consumption during peak periods. And computerized substations can talk to each other so overloaded circuits hand off electricity to underused ones, helping to prevent blackouts.</div>

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Earth Day - Google Search - 0 views

www.google.com/search

EarthDay 2009 Google search

shared by Jeff Johnson on 22 Apr 09 - Snapshot

Gale - The Sizzle - Archive Entry - 0 views

sizzle.gale.com/...es-to-celebrate-earth-day.html

celebrate EarthDay Earth_Day Gale gale.com green

shared by Jeff Johnson on 21 Apr 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 21 Apr 09

Gale Offers Free Resources to Celebrate Earth Day
In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Gale is offering free resources on its completely updated Environmental Resource Web site http://www.galeschools.com/environment/.

Browse the activities page http://www.galeschools.com/environment/activities.htm to learn more about endangered species, biomes, tips on "going green," lesson plans and more, or download a free bookmark, poster or screensaver.

Tools and resources are available at http://www.galeschools.com/environment/tools.htm and include a parent's and teacher's guide for "experiment central," details on environmental ethics and words to know.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Gale Offers Free Resources to Celebrate Earth Day <br /> In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Gale is offering free resources on its completely updated Environmental Resource Web site <a href="http://www.galeschools.com/environment/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.galeschools.com/environment/</a>. <br /> <br /> Browse the activities page <a href="http://www.galeschools.com/environment/activities.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.galeschools.com/environment/activities.htm</a> to learn more about endangered species, biomes, tips on "going green," lesson plans and more, or download a free bookmark, poster or screensaver. <br /> <br /> Tools and resources are available at <a href="http://www.galeschools.com/environment/tools.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.galeschools.com/environment/tools.htm</a> and include a parent's and teacher's guide for "experiment central," details on environmental ethics and words to know.</div>

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New solar farm adds hot water to cheap electricity| Environment| Reuters - 0 views

www.reuters.com/...idUSTRE53J0H220090420

ZenithSolar solar energy systems new technology efficient electricity water

shared by Jeff Johnson on 20 Apr 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 20 Apr 09

An energy company in Israel plans to launch a solar farm this month using new technology it says can produce cheap and efficient electricity while supplying hot water to homes.

As with all solar energy systems, investors and consumers may be turned off by high initial costs and the need for strong sunlight. But if the commercial pilot works, Israeli start-up ZenithSolar plans to make small units for homes in two years.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">An energy company in Israel plans to launch a solar farm this month using new technology it says can produce cheap and efficient electricity while supplying hot water to homes. <br /> <br /> As with all solar energy systems, investors and consumers may be turned off by high initial costs and the need for strong sunlight. But if the commercial pilot works, Israeli start-up ZenithSolar plans to make small units for homes in two years.</div>

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Earth Eats: Real Food, Green Living | WFIU Public Media - 0 views

wfiu.org/eartheats

EarthEats Earth_Eats wfiu Real Food Green Living sustainable agriculture radio iTunes podcast

shared by Jeff Johnson on 02 Mar 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 02 Mar 09

Earth Eats is a weekly radio program and podcast exploring local food and sustainable agriculture with recipes you can make at home.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Earth Eats is a weekly radio program and podcast exploring local food and sustainable agriculture with recipes you can make at home.</div>

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California's green energy spike - Green Wombat - 0 views

greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/...californias-green-energy-spike

California green energy

shared by Jeff Johnson on 21 Feb 09 - Snapshot

Could 'liquid wood' replace plastic? (csmonitor.com) - 0 views

features.csmonitor.com/...-'liquid-wood'-replace-plastic

wood plastic csmonitor.com recycle waste

shared by Jeff Johnson on 16 Feb 09 - Snapshot

Obama stalls Bush drilling plans | csmonitor.com - 0 views

features.csmonitor.com/...ama-stalls-bush-drilling-plans

Obama administration Bush drilling plans pollution csmonitor.com

shared by Jeff Johnson on 12 Feb 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 12 Feb 09

The new administration has moved quickly to reverse or delay Bush policy on drilling and pollution.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The new administration has moved quickly to reverse or delay Bush policy on drilling and pollution.</div>

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Aquaculture Could Put Milwaukee on the Map (WUWM - Susan Bence) - 0 views

www.wuwm.com/...view_news.php

wuwm aquaculture hydroponics Milwaukee leader urban Bence

shared by Jeff Johnson on 11 Jan 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 11 Jan 09

"What we'd like to do is to make Milwaukee become a national leader in growing fish by creating a large-scale production facility to grow 100 tons of yellow perch, which is a species which has kind of been in decline in the Great Lakes. We'd like to bring it back and satisfy the market for it and at the same time have an educational component so we can show the rest of the country on how they too can grow fish in the city," Bales says.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">"What we'd like to do is to make Milwaukee become a national leader in growing fish by creating a large-scale production facility to grow 100 tons of yellow perch, which is a species which has kind of been in decline in the Great Lakes. We'd like to bring it back and satisfy the market for it and at the same time have an educational component so we can show the rest of the country on how they too can grow fish in the city," Bales says. </div>

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The Guerrilla Gardening Homepage - 0 views

www.guerrillagardening.org

activism gardening community garden green environment urban guerrilla

shared by Jeff Johnson on 11 Jan 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 11 Jan 09

The global hub for those who cultivate land as guerrilla gardeners. Let's fight the filth with forks and flowers.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The global hub for those who cultivate land as guerrilla gardeners. Let's fight the filth with forks and flowers.</div>

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How underground 'hot rocks' could power America's future | csmonitor.com - 0 views

features.csmonitor.com/...s-could-power-america's-future

csmonitor Geothermal heat America fossil fuels fossil_fuels energy needs carbon emissions climate-warming

shared by Jeff Johnson on 08 Jan 09 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 08 Jan 09

Geothermal heat could meet 10 percent of America's energy needs by mid-century, according to the US Department of Energy. What's more, it would not generate the climate-warming carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Geothermal heat could meet 10 percent of America's energy needs by mid-century, according to the US Department of Energy. What's more, it would not generate the climate-warming carbon emissions associated with fossil fuels. <br /> <br /> </div>

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Home solar: What kind of system should you buy? | csmonitor.com - 0 views

features.csmonitor.com/...-kind-of-system-should-you-buy

csmonitor energy homes photovoltaics solar

shared by Jeff Johnson on 16 Sep 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 16 Sep 08

The type of solar energy capture system you put on your home depends on your needs. If you want to go full tilt and generate usable electricity from your home's rooftop - and even possibly contribute power back to the larger grid - tried-and-true photovoltaic arrays might be just the ticket. A typical installation involves the panels, which are constructed of many individual silicon-based photovoltaic cells and their support structures, along with an inverter, electrical conduit piping, and AC/DC disconnect switches.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The type of solar energy capture system you put on your home depends on your needs. If you want to go full tilt and generate usable electricity from your home's rooftop - and even possibly contribute power back to the larger grid - tried-and-true photovoltaic arrays might be just the ticket. A typical installation involves the panels, which are constructed of many individual silicon-based photovoltaic cells and their support structures, along with an inverter, electrical conduit piping, and AC/DC disconnect switches.</div>

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The Energy Challenge - Gassing Up With Garbage (NYTimes) - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...24fuel.html

challenge energy garbage nytimes waste

shared by Jeff Johnson on 24 Jul 08 - Snapshot

Suhit Anantula liked it

Jeff Johnson on 24 Jul 08

After years of false starts, a new industry selling motor fuel made from waste is getting a big push in the United States, with the first commercial sales possible within months.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">After years of false starts, a new industry selling motor fuel made from waste is getting a big push in the United States, with the first commercial sales possible within months.</div>

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Going Green or Hoarding Green? : July 2008 : THE Journal - 0 views

www.thejournal.com/22949

cost-benefit environment footprint green investment it risks technology

shared by Jeff Johnson on 16 Jul 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 16 Jul 08

What [the survey] found was that while respondents expressed concern about their environmental impact, few were willing to smother those concerns with cash. And, in fact, the numbers willing to take a hit to their wallets or to their server performance in order to reduce their carbon footprints were actually lower this year than when the survey was first conducted in 2007.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">What [the survey] found was that while respondents expressed concern about their environmental impact, few were willing to smother those concerns with cash. And, in fact, the numbers willing to take a hit to their wallets or to their server performance in order to reduce their carbon footprints were actually lower this year than when the survey was first conducted in 2007.</div>

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Camera spots rare clouded leopard (BBC NEWS) - 0 views

news.bbc.co.uk/...7561940.stm

borneo habitat illegal leopard logging protect risks

shared by Jeff Johnson on 18 Aug 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 18 Aug 08

Automatic cameras have captured images of a clouded leopard in Borneo's Sebangua National Park, an area where the cats have not been recorded before.

Researchers say confirmation of the leopards' presence highlights the need to protect the region's habitat.

The park is one of the world's largest deep peat-swap forests, but is at risk from illegal logging and forest fires.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Automatic cameras have captured images of a clouded leopard in Borneo's Sebangua National Park, an area where the cats have not been recorded before. <br /> <br /> Researchers say confirmation of the leopards' presence highlights the need to protect the region's habitat. <br /> <br /> The park is one of the world's largest deep peat-swap forests, but is at risk from illegal logging and forest fires.</div>

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Chemists Break Down Pesky Greenhouse Gas (Wired.com) - 0 views

blog.wired.com/...chemists-break.html

fluorocarbons greenhouse refrigerant refrigerators wired.com

shared by Jeff Johnson on 29 Aug 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 29 Aug 08

The molecules, known as fluorocarbons, are found in plastics, clothing and refrigerants. At their heart is a union of carbon and fluorine -- a union that, thanks to their atomic configurations, is one of the strongest molecular unions known in nature.
Under standard conditions, fluorocarbons are impervious to acids and bases. They don't give or receive electrons, the very currency of molecular reconfiguration. Breaking them down is possible only at temperatures approaching 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.

In some situations, that stability is a blessing: Teflon is made from fluorocarbons. But so are the hydrofluorocarbon coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners -- and when released, those become greenhouse gases that can circulate for thousands of years.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The molecules, known as fluorocarbons, are found in plastics, clothing and refrigerants. At their heart is a union of carbon and fluorine -- a union that, thanks to their atomic configurations, is one of the strongest molecular unions known in nature. <br /> Under standard conditions, fluorocarbons are impervious to acids and bases. They don't give or receive electrons, the very currency of molecular reconfiguration. Breaking them down is possible only at temperatures approaching 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. <br /> <br /> In some situations, that stability is a blessing: Teflon is made from fluorocarbons. But so are the hydrofluorocarbon coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners -- and when released, those become greenhouse gases that can circulate for thousands of years.</div>

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The Energy Challenge - Wind Energy Bumps Into Power Grid's Limits - Series - NYTimes.com - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...27grid.html

congested electric electricity energy fossil fuels grid nytimes nytimes.com power renewable turbines wind

shared by Jeff Johnson on 27 Aug 08 - No snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 27 Aug 08

When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing.

That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore's hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">When the builders of the Maple Ridge Wind farm spent $320 million to put nearly 200 wind turbines in upstate New York, the idea was to get paid for producing electricity. But at times, regional electric lines have been so congested that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down even with a brisk wind blowing. <br /> <br /> That is a symptom of a broad national problem. Expansive dreams about renewable energy, like Al Gore's hope of replacing all fossil fuels in a decade, are bumping up against the reality of a power grid that cannot handle the new demands.</div>

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8 Ways to Green Your Battery Use: ENN - 0 views

www.enn.com/...38367

batteries earth911 electricity green landfills optimize recycling waste

shared by Jeff Johnson on 09 Oct 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 09 Oct 08

You may not realize how often you use batteries until you have to operate for a few hours without electricity. Batteries are great at keeping a charge in our mobile devices, but the components that help generate these charges wreak havoc in landfills.

You can use Earth911 to find out where to recycle batteries for a number of devices, including your car and cell phone. Here's eight ways to optimize your battery use so you'll create less waste in the first place.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">You may not realize how often you use batteries until you have to operate for a few hours without electricity. Batteries are great at keeping a charge in our mobile devices, but the components that help generate these charges wreak havoc in landfills. <br /> <br /> You can use Earth911 to find out where to recycle batteries for a number of devices, including your car and cell phone. Here's eight ways to optimize your battery use so you'll create less waste in the first place.</div>

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Design Notebook - Philippe Starck Turns His Attention to Ecology (NYTimes) - 0 views

www.nytimes.com/...07starck.html

design energy green starck sustainable turbine

shared by Jeff Johnson on 07 Aug 08 - Snapshot

Jeff Johnson on 07 Aug 08

The first of his so-called Democratic Ecology products, a line he is developing in collaboration with Pramac, an Italian industrial group, is to be introduced in Europe this fall, and in the United States early next year. It is a miniature rooftop wind turbine, priced between $780 and $1,250, which Mr. Starck said can produce up to 80 percent of a home's energy.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">The first of his so-called Democratic Ecology products, a line he is developing in collaboration with Pramac, an Italian industrial group, is to be introduced in Europe this fall, and in the United States early next year. It is a miniature rooftop wind turbine, priced between $780 and $1,250, which Mr. Starck said can produce up to 80 percent of a home's energy.</div>

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Chrysler's Electric Car Coming in 2010 (Truthdig) - 0 views

www.truthdig.com/...rs_electric_car_coming_in_2010

2010 all-electric cars chrysler hybrid plug-in hybrids truthdig

shared by Jeff Johnson on 24 Sep 08 - Snapshot

Peter Fleming liked it

Jeff Johnson on 24 Sep 08

Chrysler plans to sell either its all-electric sports car or one of two plug-in hybrid models sometime in 2010.

<div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner">Chrysler plans to sell either its all-electric sports car or one of two plug-in hybrid models sometime in 2010.</div>

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