In its press release for the launch of the rewards program, the company claims that its program “…creates a virtuous circle of local businesses providing incentives for households to save energy, and households re-circulating their savings on their utility bills into local businesses - benefiting both the local environment and the local economy.” All of this is on top of money actually saved by consumers cutting their energy use…

Read more of this story »

Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas’ Editor-In-Chief, talks with David Kram, Energy Specialist for the Rising Sun Energy Center of the California Youth Energy Services about how California residents can get free home energy audits as well as energy-efficient lightbulb replacements and other energy-saving devices.

Click Play Below,or

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas‘ Editor-In-Chief, talks about efficient ENERGY STAR products and the Change a Light Campaign with Wendy Reed, Campaign Manager for ENERGY STAR.

Click Play Below,or

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

Read more of this story »

I’m coming to the conclusion pretty fast that just about every hotel will eventually be walking the talk when it comes to going green – though some are walking slowly while others are galloping as if there isn’t a minute to waste. While ecotourism continues to grow internationally, more American companies are grasping that going green can save some green too, which is also a point I make in ECOpreneuring.

A recent trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (to enter a few food items in our Wisconsin State Fair) found my family and I bedding down at the Hotel Metro, a boutique, high-rise luxury 63 room hotel that features numerous green aspects, from energy efficient lighting to a rooftop hot tub spa kept clean by using a salt-water system, rather than chlorine. Metro Hotel is the first Milwaukee hotel to be certified by Travel Green Wisconsin, racking up 67 points in total.

Read more of this story »

If you picture a grain farmer out tending a field, you might imagine someone sitting on the metal seat of a tractor like the one in the picture above, moving slowly across a field - perhaps the farmer has a straw hat.  That image seems attractive as long as you are not the farmer.  Fortunately, this isn’t the real situation in the developed world or we wouldn’t get anyone in our rapidly aging population to do full-time farming on the multiple thousand-acre farms that are typical of a modern, Midwestern family farm.

Today, a progressive farmer will typically be working in an enclosed, air-conditioned cab with surround sound, a cell phone, and an internet connection for tracking commodity futures or catching up on email.  Increasingly, the tractor is driving itself by computer and GPS except for occasional intervention.  I’ve carried on a number of protracted interviews with farmers who were in just this setting.  I know one farmer that ran much of his state senate campaign from a tractor or combine.  These new, sophisticated, farm vehicles are not just about keeping the farmer comfortable and multi-tasking.  They are important tools for making farming more sustainable.

Read more of this story »

Sean Daily, Green Living Ideas’ Editor-in-Chief, talks with Ross Brouse, founder and owner of Solar Virtualization Technology Group (Solar VTG) and Solar VPS, about green web server hosting for personal and professional applications.

Click Play Below,or

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

GreenTalk Radio Host Sean Daily discusses using technological components to remotely control every aspect of your home’s energy and security systems with Raj Marya, President and CEO of Amazing Controls.

Click Play Below,or

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

You’re waiting at a red light, your engine idling lightly. You check the crosswalk signal: 20 seconds, you have some time. You turn your classical music up a notch to the perfect volume and you close your eyes, relaxing on your way home from work. But your moment of relaxation is interrupted by the thump thump of bass coming from the car next to you. You look over at the car, the tinted windows keep you from seeing the driver. But the car’s engine revs. The light changes green and, as you lightly press the gas, the car next to you squeals past you, burning rubber.

Now, there is a lot of that situation that you would probably change. But I wonder if rubber made it high on your list. Well, it’s high on the list of researchers at Oregon State University. Their idea is not to do away with rubber altogether, but they are looking at the possibility of using trees in the tire-making process, which means that you and I could drive around on tires made partially out of trees some day.

Wood science researchers at Oregon State University have made some surprising findings about the potential of microcrystalline cellulose – a product made easily from almost any type of plant fibers – to partially replace silica as a reinforcing filler in the manufacture of rubber tires.

Read more of this story »

Before I get into this topic, please read my article on cancer dedicated to someone special to me, each view constitutes a larger donation to cancer research. http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/07/27/help-me-fight-cancer/

The “green movement” is gaining some steam in the general public, and hey I am all for it.  As long as it doesn’t become a fad that fades away into a footnote like slap bracelets and Crocks. The Apple iPhone is the hottest smart phone going today, and with over 65,000 applications in the iTunes App Store and counting, the usefulness of this pocket device goes up all the time. This can only mean that there will be green apps on the iPhone, and of course there will be some clunkers. With all these apps floating around there must be some gems as well. I’ll give some apps a try and tell you what I think, so you, my loyal reader, doesn’t have to.

(Part 2: Paid Apps, will be coming soon, so check back at PlanetSave.com)

Read more of this story »

In 2002 the Coca-Cola Company used 3.12 liters of water to produce every liter of poduct. The company, which has captured the taste buds of drinkers worldwide used .57 megajoules of energy and averaged 12.54 grams of waste per liter of product. It’s no wonder that the Coke Kingdom has been less than popular among environmental groups.

With concern for the environment rising among pop culture, however, Coke’s pop has begun to lose its fizz with more than just special interest groups.

Since 2002 the Coke Kingdom has made some changes in order to become more sustainable. In India, the company has worked to offset their water usage by establishing local rainwater harvesting facilities. Over the last two years, Coke has installed 320 rainwater harvesting structures across 17 states in India.

Read more of this story »

Staying away from the topics of food and transportation, which are probably the biggest daily products you could green, here is a list of products you use everyday.

Read more of this story »

In reference to Thomas Friedman’s book, Hot, Flat and Crowded, Boxer said yesterday: “The nation that aggressively addresses the issue of climate change will be the nation that will thrive, the nation that will lead, and the nation that will prosper.”

Read more of this story »

We can see the way children imitate their parents, even as adults. Children learn habits (small and large ones), beliefs, likes and dislikes, interests, manners, and even deeply engrained ethics from their parents. It may seem superficial at times, but when you get to know someone closely, and their family, you can get to see how deep what they learned actually goes.

We put a lot into the future of our children. We want them to have a good education, good friends, want them to be polite and respectful. We hope they will learn what’s important in life and what’s not as important, and we do our best to help them learn this.

All of this being said, what do we do to educate them about the environment? We do some things on a superficial level — we might recycle and tell them how to recycle and what recycling is; we might be conservative in the use of lights and water and such resources. We give some passing mention of the importance of the environment. But is this a true environmental ethic and are we doing what we should in this field?

Read more of this story »

The creation of the EcoGrove I Wind Farm was precipitated by the State of Illinois adopting a Renewable Energy Standard that required the state to generate at least 25 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by 2025. Cleaner air, using an abundant and renewable energy source, and providing various community benefits make wind farm development likely to continue, at least until more Americans change our energy-intensive ways.  From my perspective, however, energy independence is more about breaking free from our fossil fuel addictions to coal, natural gas and oil rather than simply securing domestic sources of energy that are polluting and/or add more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The $200 million EcoGrove I Wind Farm is owned and operated by the sustainability-focused business Acciona Energy North America; its parent company is Acciona S.A., headquartered in Spain. EcoEnergy LLC and The Morse Group managed various aspects of the planning, mapping, permitting, engineering and interconnections for the project.

The EcoGrove 1 Project comprises 67 turbines spread across about eight thousand acres to create a 100 megawatt (MW) wind farm capable of powering over 25,000 homes. Thirty of the 67 Acciona turbines were manufactured in West Branch, Iowa, with the rest coming from Spain. The energy produced is sold to ComEd (Exelon Corporation) which then directs the energy where needed. An additional two phases are planned.

“The upper Midwest has tremendous wind energy potential and EcoGrove is one great step toward harnessing that potential.” said Kimberly L. Smith, Vice President Construction and O&M Services, Acciona Energy North America.

Below are of the few of the benefits in more detail, though our group was blown away by their sleek design of the blades and the way they towered over the emerging cornfields in early summer.

Read more of this story »

In an effort to feed two children with the same bottle, the Obama administration has created a rebate program that has potential to affect the average Joe and Jane. The nation has stumbled forward, carrying the weight of the struggling economy on one leg and the weight of energy concerns on the other; but the current administration hopes to change that.

It is hope of recovery, of success, of change that prompted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. And it is that same hope that has created a sub-program within the Recovery Act; a program that will encourage energy efficiency while putting money back into the hands of the people.

Read more of this story »

Oh! The weather outside [can be] frightful, which is why Stephen Chu of the U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday that 7 states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire) will be the recipients of more than $288 million dollars, which will be put toward weatherization projects.

The funds will go toward weatherization projects benefiting more than 91,000 homes. And with the money and subsequent weatherization comes lower energy costs for low-income families that need it, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and creation of green jobs across the country - all part of the Obama administration’s green vision.

Read more of this story »

One quarter billion dollars is a lot. An awful lot. Most people will never even come near that amount of money, but that’s what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Americans saved this past year by switching over to energy efficient homes.

In the EPA’s announcement on July 3, it was reported that 17 percent of all single family homes built across the nation in the year 2008 received the EPA’s Energy Star approval rating, which means that a homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30 percent more efficient than standard homes. The percentage of Energy Star homes was up from 12 percent in 2007.

The increase in Energy Star rated homes shows that home builders and home buyers are investing in homes that save money and the environment. “Every year more Americans decide to cut their energy bills and help keep the air clean in their communities by buying a new home that has earned EPA’s Energy Star,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Read more of this story »

But the Tower, in my mind, never had much to distinguish it other than a great view from the 103rd floor, its height of 110 stories and the convenience of the train station. But now everything is changing.

By the end of the summer, it will no longer be the Sears Tower. It will be called the Willis Tower, named for the global insurance broker. But more importantly, the building will undergo a $350 million efficiency and renewable energy retrofit that will reduce the base building electricity use by up to 80 percent - 68 million kilowatt hours annually or 150,000 barrels of oil every year. The retrofit will also create more than 3,600 jobs in the Chicago area.

Read more of this story »

GreenTalk Radio host Sean Daily talks with green blogger and eco-entrepreneur Shea Gunther, previously of EarthFirst.com and now with MNN.

Click Play Below,or

This post contains additional media. Click here to view the full post.

MASSACHUSETTS – $48.8 Million Awarded

Massachusetts will use its Recovery Act funds to weatherize more than 16,900 homes over the next three years, while ramping up a Clean Energy Center to train and support a growing energy-efficiency workforce in the state.  Under the program, Massachusetts is increasing the number of auditors and other professionals that will be needed to meet the increased demand for weatherization activities. More than 25 additional auditors have already been hired, along with new private-sector employees that will work with local organizations responsible for weatherization work.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive an additional $61 million, for a total of more than $122 million.

MICHIGAN –$97.3 Million Awarded

Michigan will use funding from the Recovery Act to provide weatherization assistance to more than 33,000 homes over the next three years. The Michigan weatherization program, administered by the Department of Human Services, will provide home energy audits and weatherization activities that will lower energy consumption and utility bills in low-income homes across the state. Each home will receive a unique audit to determine which activities are the most cost effective.  Some of the most common weatherization procedures include the repair, insulation, and sealing of ducts and the installation of insulation in walls and attics. Weatherization funds can also be used to install energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs and replace energy consuming refrigerators and water heaters.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive over $121 million in additional funding, for a total of more than $243 million.

MINNESOTA – $52.7 Million Awarded

Minnesota will use its Recovery Act funding to weatherize more than 16,800 households over the next three years. Weatherization is a strong tool to minimize the effects of the state’s climate for residents, who face harsh polar air and extreme temperatures throughout the year.  The state’s Department of Commerce will administer the program and over thirty community action groups throughout the state will provide weatherization services in local areas with the largest groups located in Minneapolis and in Ramsey and Washington Counties. All organizations that implement the work are provided training and technical assistance workshops and conferences focused on maximizing energy savings and minimizing program costs.  The funding will also be used to support the state’s energy crisis plan that assists low-income households with weatherization services in the event of a disaster.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive an additional $65 million, for a total of almost $132 million.

NEW HAMPSHIRE - $9.3 Million Awarded

New Hampshire will utilize Recovery Act funding to help create new job opportunities and workforce development through the implementation of its weatherization assistance program and increased demand for weatherization professionals. The New Hampshire program will provide weatherization assistance to over 2,600 low-income households over the next three years. The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning will administer the program, and subcontract to six community action agencies that will deliver weatherization services at the local level.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive over $11.5 million in additional funding, for a total of over $23 million.

More: How can you lower energy costs without using stimulus money?

Photo Credit: jps246 via flickr under Creative Commons License