Green Options

Summer may be gone for now, but certain bits of it last on:  memories, vacation photos……new sun spots. 

Several visitors have written to me asking for help reducing the appearance of sun spots and freckles.  Though nothing short of completely avoiding the sun will totally keep spots at bay, being liberal with the sunscreen and choosing a few targeted products will definitely help.

Scientists have discovered that sunspots are not the only thing from the Sun that have a significant and varied impact on the Earth.

There is a “solar cycle” of approximately 11 years. Variation of the Sun’s impact on the Earth during those 11 years is generally thought to be due to sunspots. The Sun also shoots high-speed winds at the Earth, however, and scientists have just discovered that these super winds significantly affect the Earth in several ways.

Japan is planning to build a solar power station in space within the next 30 years. It is expected to cost $21 billion. How will they do it?

Burning high in the sky, he sits and watches us, just doing his job. Wearing an ironic pair of sunglasses, he keeps us warm during the day, bronzes our skin by the beach, and makes earth inhabitable. He does quite a bit for us, despite his dwelling 93 million miles away. But with concerns over the climate rising faster than the temperature, the Department of Energy is calling on him to play a bigger role.

With the costs of energy walking a tight rope, and an economy struggling to recover itself after a fall, the Department of Energy turned once more to Mr. Sun. Solar energy has been a good idea for a while, but because it can’t be stored, and because it only produces during part of the day, it can’t make the impact that many think it should.

Summer is upon us. The plants are in full bloom, and the sun feels great on your skin. The longer days give you more energy. There are barbecues, beaches and pool parties with your name written all over them! Since you will be spending all that time soaking up the sun, there a few facts you may be happy to know about sunlight and the healing powers of Vitamin D. Vitamin D has gone on for years as the single most underrated nutrient and only recently did it begin to get it’s moment in the spotlight. Research is showing that Vitamin D is known to help prevent osteoporosis, depression, prostrate and breast cancer and even affects diabetes and obesity. If that is not enough to get you to throw your bikini on, maybe these facts from  “The Healing Power of Sunlight and Vitamin D-an exclusive interview with Dr. Michael Holick”, by Mike Adams will help persuade you.

Greenpeace calculates that the exploitation of less than 1% of the total solar thermal potential of the sun would be enough to stabilise the world climate through massive carbon dioxide reductions. Some large scale technologies must become viable to even approach this level.

One’s first thought on solar energy is often the photo voltaic systems (PV) that convert sunlight directly into electricity. These small systems seem to have real potential, especially in areas that lack grid based electricity. However, PV material is expensive and has, to date, not found application as a mainstream alternate energy source.

Scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California have suggested a plan to drastically reduce global warming, by painting the world white.  If implemented successfully, it would be the equivalent of taking the world’s 600 million cars off the road for 18 years.

Hashem Akbari and Surabi Meno, along with Art Rosenfeld, California Energy Commissioner and Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, are so convinced that their idea will work, that they have proposed a “Cool World” plan that would use white roofs, and solar-reflective roofs of other colors, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help delay atmospheric heating effects.

Chicago architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz has produced the winning design for the US Department of Energy’s Solar Wall competition. SCB’s sun wall will be 32,000 square feet and will cover the south elevation of the DOE’s Washington DC headquarters.

What a shame!

To overcome the current economic and financial crisis Italy plays the card of improvisation without considering the consequences. But what can get worse an unpopular decision? The answer seems to be: the mental instability of the decision maker.

I’m going to explain better what happened..

As alternative energy continues to be the hot topic in our flailing economy, New York City sets an environmental example by launching Times Square’s first 100 percent eco-powered billboard.

The billboard powered entirely by wind and sun, is the first such sign in New York City. It will be erected by Ricoh Company, Ltd., a Japanese company that strives to be outstanding in all areas of the environment, society, and the economy.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new way of storing energy from sunlight that could lead to ‘unlimited’ solar power.

The process, loosely based on plant photosynthesis, uses solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. When needed, the gases can then be re-combined in a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity whether the sun is shining or not.

According to project leader Prof. Daniel Nocera, “This is the nirvana of what we’ve been talking about for years. Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now, we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon.”