not just their uniforms are green: U.S Army goes solar

The United States Army will spend $7 billion dollars on going green. 

The army plans on using solar energy in it's operating bases and camps around the world.  They already have some in the US with a program started last year called SAGE (Smart and Green Energy at base camps)

With the price of Gas so high Is it now time for Biofuel stations?

Gas prices have reached and past the $4 mark across America with talks of it going to $5 or $6 in the near future.

These are record highs that are having negative affects on our economy. At the same time they are opening the door to something that could be of a great positive affect to not just the economy but also the environment. That is if someone steps through the door.

that door is biofuels, which has long been brought up as an alternative to gas but one of the biggest road blocks is the fact that often the cost of producing a gallon of biofuels was more then the cost of a gallon of gas. The price of Algae fuel for example is usually expected to be around $7 to $8 dollars.

It's still very high cost but at the worst it will but a cap on the price of gas. IE the price of gas wont reach the same levels because it would have to compete with a source of energy that has the added value of being much cleaner.

But this could also be the step needed to have the production of algae oil brought up to scale that the production cost will go go down so much that the price is equal to or even less then that of gas.

electric cars just got a little more classier as Rolls Royce enters the market

Rolls Royce has announced that they are going to make an electric car.

perfect ideal. Electric cars are going to cost more then normal so it makes sense to target the high in car market with electric cars.

Riding in the Chevrolet Volt

I got to ride in a Volt on Saturday.

Boy is it a nice car.

Encase you don't know the volt is an electric hybrid car coming out from GM.

It was really cool getting to look at the car up close. Interesting seeing the battery when you pop the hood instead of an engine and also seeing one in the back in trunk.

The volt comes with a standard 120 volt model which takes about 10 hours to fully recharge and a 240 model which will take about 4 hours.

It comes loaded with GPS, XM radio, onstar and a DVD/Blu-ray player (though you can only watch it when the car is stopped).

It's a four door compact car. I thought it was alright room wise but my brother who has a family was upset because he didn't feel it's big enough for driving around the wife and kids. But I think he will be on board when they make a van version of the volt.

Ok enough talk about the specs and stuff I am sure you want to know about riding in the Chevy Volt. Will it was very nice. It's been said before but the car is quite. really you can't hear any engine. It's so caught you can hear the car going over potholes. It's a little eerie and takes a little time getting used to the lack of the sounds we are used to hearing in the car.

The ride was short but I learned abit about the car from the engineer that drove us around in it.

She (the engineer chauffeur) told us that even though it's officially stated you can go 40 miles on one charge (without having to use the back up gas) she was actually getting about 43 miles.

a car runs on the runs

oh crap, some folks at university in flint mi have away to human waste into biofuel for cars. they hope all cars in the city will on it.
don't flush that ideal, i think it's the shiznit.

Just got capped

Well news is they have finally capped the oil leak in the gulf.

But it's not over yet. BP still has to clean up the oil.

Obama pledges $2 billion investment in solar

Two solar energy companies are getting a big investment as the president states that Abengoa Solar and Abound Solar Manufacturing have received funding money from the government.

check the video (it's around the 2 minute mark)


This is great news not only in the jobs mentioned that this will create but of course for the environment.

it's good to see funding for green energy. This is an area that the U.S is sadly lagging on.

It's raining oil

Here is an effect of BP oil spill that I didn't think about until I saw this video...



That's right it's raining oil.

It makes since when you think about the fact that water in all forms does recycle it self in a system of large bodies of water, some evaporation and coming back down as rain.

Oil Spill wont stop tourism

The other day I heard a tourism ad for Florida. Nothing surprising about that except that it brings up the BP oil spill. The ad was basically where sure the oil spill has changed your plains to visit Florida for are beaches due to the oil spill, but we would like to point out the oil has only reached south Florida...we still got clean beaches in north Florida...please visit north Florida.



I realize the tourism is a large part of any states economy and of course any state would do what it can to get people to visit the state. But still I was surprise hearing that ad.

Not so new oil spill

This oil madness in the gulf keeps getting worst.

on NPR's site they mention that a new oil spill isn't that new but actually 6 year's oil...er I mean old.

Solar Skin the Inflatable solar panels

the company of Studio formwork has developed a type of solar panel that will allow people to use solar energy without having to pay for the expensive installation of normal solar panels.

it looks like something out of a sci-fi show

Support Van Jones

If you don't know green activist Van Jones was fired form his Green Jobs Czar position in the Obama administration due to Glen Beck and Republicans anger over a number of things such as the fact that Jones was the founder of color of change (they are trying to say that group is racist) and after 911 he signed a petition asking for the cause of 911 to be further investigated (something that many of the widows of 911 also signed)

But the truth is they are pushing hard part not only their attack on Obama but also part of their denial that there is anything wrong with the environment.


petition site is holding a petition drive for people to show support for Van Jones

They are looking to get at least 2,500 signatures and as I post this they are only 10% of the way there.

Moku Gift teams up with a few stars from hip-hop and beyond to get you to planet some trees

Mokugift is running a program where you can planet a tree with some of your favorite artist and sports star...well short of. you can click on a picture of one of the celebrities that have teamed up and order a tree or two to planet...I don't think that star will actually show up to you house and go planting with you.

still this for a good cause.

the celebrities that have lent their names to the project are Mystic, Nina B, Pharoahe Monch, DJ Sake-1, Omar Offendum, jahcoozi, Tajai, VP Rao and a few others

Plastic Bags recyceling

the other day I was watching a documentary on plastic bags. The documentary was focused on the harm plastic bags do to the environment ( I knew they where bad but I'll be honest I didn't realize these bags are commonly eating by animals...leading to their deaths) but the doc also talked to a person that work for an oil/plastic company talking about how good plastic bags are.

One of the things the guy (I didn't catch his name) stated the fact that these bags can be recycled. But it's estimated that only about 1% of plastic bags get recycled

But listen to the guy trying to put a positive spin for the field that pays him it hit me since these bags can be recycled maybe we should do what was done with the pop industry and give people a little money back when they return bags as they do pop cans and bottles.

The way I see it most people through away bags and don't think about it but keep there pop cans/bottles so they can get some of their money back and for the those of us who still those, sometimes a homeless person will pick them up so they can get the refund.

If a refund was added to plastic bags I would think a similar thing would happen. people will collect their backs to get some money back.

the only problem I can think of is that we would have to increase the cost of bags which may turn some people off. But if the cost is either a store saying it cost 10 cents a bag or if they just sneak the extra price into there normal cost of running business I think it would be well worth it.

100 mpg: big vehicles that give us big mileage

it seems we may have to rethink the ideal that smaller cars are better for the environment

recently GM has announced that they are working on a electric hybrid Hummer that will get 100 mpg.

but this is not the only 100 mpg automobile that is in the works.

an upstart company Bright Automotive has van (or as they call it fleet vehicle) that can get 100 mpg.

both companies are hoping to have their vehicles out around 2011 or 2012.

Bright automotive is looking get a $450 million loan from the Department of Energy from a program to help car companies to put out fuel efficient cars

Oprah's OWN Environment Man

when the deal to turn discovery health into OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) next year, one of the new shows will star an African American internet star working to help us be a greener place...I'm talking about Environment Man

the Black Rock & Roll Superhero goes around the nation pushing environmental awareness and somethings singing his own songs.

New Jers makes a big move into going Solar powered

The biggest utility company in New Jersey PSE&G is making moves to have a big push to go solar.

PSE&G is putting $773 million toward placing solar panels on all of their properties, their electric poles and even on public schools.

it's expected that this project will allow 7% of New Jersey's power form solar energy.

shroomville

I ran across this site that has a models for their ideal of skyscrapers that are based on mushrooms.




the tops are supposed to be solar panels to give the powered needed for the building.

Help Africa and South America make big power movies with solar power

The England based solar panel company Solarcentury are the folks behind the charity Solar Aid

The goal of the charity is to provide items small solar panels and solar powered items to people living in the most rural impoverish areas of Africa and South America.

Normally people living in those areas wouldn't have electricity but with these solar panels and solar powered products they can at least have some electric powered items to make life easier, healthier and more productive for them.

also since the charities is giving people solar energy, Solar aid is helping to insure as nation develops they are doing so in a clean way.

Solar aid has a number of projects and are looking for donations to help fund them.

Solar Aid funds placing solar panels on schools, clinics and community centers.

they also found training people on how to make solar power products such as lamps, cell phones and radios. This is done in hopes to give people skills and also give them a source of income by supplying an item that that people can sell.

go to their site to check out all the different programs they are running and pick one or more of them to give to.

Doc gets into trouble because of his fat ride

a Beverly Hills cosmetic doctor has gotten into a lard of trouble because of the unique way he was fueling his SUV.

Dr. Craig Alan Bittner was using turning the fat that he got form the liposuction he performed into biodiesel (or as he calls it lipodiesel)


Doc Bittner says that he received permeation form his clients to use their fat ass's to power his car but it doesn't seem to matter because it is against Cali law to use human medical waste for fuel.

instead of facing charges for this and other things (he's a little shady it seems) the doc has skipped town and is living in Columbia.