Eco20/20

As we advance more into the 21st century, technology will advance as well. A very interesting advancement is the idea about turning grease into electricity.

Are you looking for a career path that you have complete control over every part of the business? No more boss to worry about. Starting a greenhouse business may be something to consider.

2008- Renewable Energy Grows!- Year in Review

From the outside, there is nothing unusual about the stylish new gray and orange row houses in the Kranichstein District, with wreaths on the doors and Christmas lights twinkling through a freezing drizzle. But these houses are part of a revolution in building design: There are no drafts, no cold tile floors, no snuggling under blankets until the furnace kicks in. There is, in fact, no furnace. Published to:

Geothermal installers are in demand. Even in a down economy, companies are making big profits and looking for more installers all the time.

When you first look at the Dell Studio Hybrid Computer, you may not even think it is a computer. Yet, it is and it is a good quality computer at that.

The Panasonic Mini Home Theater System SCEN38 may be exactly what you are looking for. Built to let you listen to your favorite CDs in the exact way that you want to; this model is up to date, stylish, and easy to set up

How does the sound of taking control of your electricity bills and saving as much as 20% on your monthly energy consumption appeal to you? With the use of the Black and Decker energy usage monitor, these are possible.

The Black and Decker Energy Star Handheld Vacuum is just what its name sounds like. It is a heavy duty, easy to use and energy efficient vacuum that can go with you anywhere you want it to.

Ionic Hair Dryer is a great choice for those who are looking to have great looking hair without the cost that traditional hair dryers place on the environment.

Part of creating the ultimate sustainable planet will be our ability to find sustainable energy sources in a variety of means, such as sunlight, water flow, wind, and yes, even rain. We are of course speaking of the kinetic energy which can be harnessed from rain, which up until a few months ago, was not being considered for use in a consumer product... Lightdrops Umbrella This kinetic energy is created from piezoelectric material, which is able to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. Now, we aren't talking about a whole lot of energy being created here, approximately 1 microwatt to 12 milliwatts per rain droplet. While not much in the large scheme of things, this technology has been put to use in a new LED umbrella called Lightdrops, which is able to self power an internal LED light using the rain from which it is protecting its user from.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), US wind producers enjoyed another record year of growth in 2008-the third in a row. The country now has an installed wind power capacity well in excess of 21,000 megawatts (MW), enough to supply electricity to over 5.5 million American homes. According to Randall Swisher, AWEA Executive DIrector, "Wind energy installations are well ahead of the curve for contributing 20% of the U.S. electric power supply by 2030 as envisioned by the U.S. Department of Energy."

iGo Technologies provides solutions for charging up gadgets more efficiently by ditching standby power. They're debuting a few more cool looking products at the upcoming CES. Read on for a glimpse of what tech we'll get to see in just a couple weeks. Three products iGo is planning on showing off are: - iGo Laptop Charger: Charge your laptop and other devices from any standard wall outlet, including automatic shut-off and recovery to reduce vampire power. - iGo Surge Protector: An eight outlet surge protector with shut-off and recovery to reduce vampire power. - iGo Wall Outlet: A wall outlet with automatic shut-off and recovery.

The most-emailed NYT article for two days running has not been another explanation of the shaky housing market (that's #2), but rather a front-page story on solidly built "passive houses": Using ultrathick insulation and complex doors and windows, the architect engineers a home encased in an airtight shell, so that barely any heat escapes and barely any cold seeps in. That means a passive house can be warmed not only by the sun, but also by the heat from appliances and even from occupants' bodies. [emphasis added] It's staggering how much energy can be saved this way:

While much attention on renewables in recent years has focussed on solar and wind technologies, awareness has been growing around the enormous energy generating potential of the Earth's oceans. A 2005 report from the Electric Power Research Institute stated that wave power properly and effectively harnessed, would likely have minimal environmental impact, and be much less visible on the landscape, than competing technologies. At the same time, waves possess the advantage of being more predictable than either wind or solar, which in principle makes ocean power a more reliable source of energy.

How much energy could be generated by states tapping into internal renewable resources? To date, no study has addressed this question comprehensively. This report is a first attempt to do so. The data in this report, while preliminary, suggest that at least half of the fifty states could meet all their internal energy needs from renewable energy generated inside their borders, and the vast majority could meet a significant percentage. And these estimates may well be conservative.

The South Korean government has allocated 18.3 trillion won (about US$14.2 billion) for an energy efficiency initiative that will run until 2012 and save 34.2 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). The goal is an 11.3% improvement in energy efficiency by 2012, compared with the level seen in 2007. Among the steps are a 16.5% increase in new vehicle average fuel economy by 2012. In 2004, South Korea replaced its voluntary, unenforced standard with a mandatory program-the Average Fuel Economy (AFE) system-that started in 2006 for domestic vehicles and will start in 2009 for imports. (Earlier post.) The current standards are 12.4 km/l (29.2 mpg US) for vehicles with engine displacements of 1.5 liters or less and 9.6 km/l (22.6 mpg US) for vehicles with engine displacements of more than 1.5 liters. Credits can be earned to offset shortfalls.

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This book is part of a course which was offered at MIT and is part of there Open Course Work project. This is important for learning what is going on, and why, in the International community concerning Climate Change, and International cooperation.