Environmental Leadership From The Green Mountains

Photo: Senator Bernard Sanders

Sen. Bernie Sanders Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Peter Welch all received a 100 percent perfect score on the League of Conservation Voters National Environmental Scorecard for 2010. Vermont’s congressional delegation was the only one in the country to receive a perfect score. The leading national environmental group evaluated senators’ records based on six key votes last year, including two votes on amendments offered by Sanders. Normally we don’t get involved with politics since our thing is Earth-friendly products and resources. But this is a big deal. Check out what was on the line.

The Dirty Air Act would have overturned EPA’s endangerment finding. The resolution would prevent the EPA from taking the necessary steps under the Clean Air Act to address global warming pollution.

Along with defeating the dirty air act, our leaders cut oil subsidies, created a biodiesel tax credit, a renewable energy tax credit, lead paint protections, and voted down border fence construction. We are our children can thank our Leahy, Sanders and Welch for keeping the world a little greener and voting with the interests of the many and not the interests of wealthy corporations. Thank you!

Photo: NASA

Would we buy a used planet from these men? Consider the billions of dollars of “free speech” money that flows into congressional campaigns in attempts to influence their work. Their records speak for themselves.

Check out our Earth-friendly products that support cold and hungry people.

The Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight is ready when you are!
Every once in awhile a product comes along from a top notch company that is easy to sell because it is so good. The Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight is that product because it is well-made and does what it is supposed to do- really well. Flashlights are notorious for not working when you need them. The Energizer Solar Crank Flashlight will be there when you need it!  It charges quickly just sitting on your window sill in the sun, or you can pull it out of a drawer and wind it for a few second for instant bright light.  And oh yeah, you can drop it like I did and it might not break!

Sadelle bought a bunch of them to give to each of her family and the reports are that everybody loves them. Sadelle says, “I keep one on the dashboard of my car and it is always ready when I need it. The other night I was standing outside waiting for my friend to pick me up. My Energizer solar light gave off as much as I needed. That light is great.”

Check out the quickie video below, then go the Energizer Solar Flashlight page and buy some, using our LEACommunity coupon code and get 10% off! Some dark night in the future you will be glad you did!

Photo: striatic/Flickr
As we break into deep January, it’s not too late to think about what a crappy year 2010 was and how we can improve things in the year ahead. If you are optimistic about the future, another way to look at it is: what are some things you can do to muff it up?

Don’t watch the weather reports

If the volcanoes, New Year’s Eve tornadoes, California mudslides, Australian floods, polar air of minus 40 degrees or century blizzards haven’t grabbed your attention yet, they will soon. NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicts that one of the impacts of climate change will be larger, more unpredictable weather ahead. Even the insurance industry is beginning to take notice of the potential for its ability to keep up. We may not see out-of-season tornadoes or another Katrina for awhile, but then out of nowhere — kablooey! You get walloped!

Buy that gas-guzzling car you’ve secretly wanted

Oil experts are predicting we’ll pay $5 for a gallon of gas within a year or so. You don’t believe it? Oil reserves are being used up while demand and oil prices are rising with the economic recovery. Tree hugger environmentalists say it’s one impact from “peak oil,” the point where half of the Earth’s oil has essentially been depleted. (It’s explained by the old supply and demand equation.) And when oil and gas prices go up, transportation, durable goods and everything from food to fertilizer — anything that is made from crude oil, which is pretty much everything — costs more. Unless you are one of those people who can afford anything, or you are living off the land, now is a good time to think about living more efficiently. If you plan ahead, you will be glad you bought that greener car.

Stay apathetic about our genius leaders in Washington

American voters just elected a new freshman class in the House, but don’t be so sure much will change anytime soon. Why do normally positive folks like us take a skeptical view on this? Because the same laws and regulations that bring us influence-peddling in the name of free speech, high self-awarded congressional salaries and benefits, and earmarks (even by a different name) persist. It’s time to get politically active if you want change to happen!

Ramp up your couch potato exercise routine

Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity remain public enemies to personal wellness, which is the absence of illness. The longer the human body goes without regular exercise and a good diet, the more prone to chronic disease it becomes. The more consistently we do 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day, the less disease we have. Start getting exercise now to improve the quality of the rest of your life.

Leave retooling your résumé to chance

From China to Mexico to the U.S., the global marketplace is changing the employment picture. Our demand for affordable stuff fuels economies in parts of the world where hourly wages are much lower than in the U.S. The careers of the past are being replaced by more automation and more competition with lower wages elsewhere. When jobs disappear, employees will have to relocate or retrain if they want to find or create new jobs and careers. The green energy sector will continue to be a growth area if you are looking for a job.

Put off learning sustainable gardening

There is a growing library of literature showing that our water and food supply is increasingly unsafe, not nutritious, and not sustainable. This is a result of peak oil, environmental degradation, climate change, political instability and other reasons. All of these factors (and more) will create more uncertainty in safe water and plentiful safe food production, and result in higher water and food prices in the future, to say the least. A political conflict could create disastrous consequences, since all 7 billion earthlings need food and water on a regular basis. It is high time to learn how to grow your own food and conserve water.

This article was written by Glenn Fay and appeared on MNN.com last week.

Want to save thousands of dollars in 2011 on energy in your home? Check out our ebook, How to Save Thousands of Dollars on Energy in Your Home for only $6.99.

LoveEarthAlways is proud to partner with Vermont Foodbank, Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) and Spectrum Youth and Family Services. We are in business to help cold and hungry people. If you make a donation of as little as a dollar to COTS, Spectrum Youth and Family Services or Vermont Foodbank, you will get a free BPA-free stainless steel water bottle! This is the same water bottle that our customer rave about and we sell for $10! We also make donations to these three non-profits and other organizations that make the world a better place. We invite you to buy our products and make contributions to their causes.

Check out our eco friendly products.

Image: GE

Wouldn’t it be neat if successful companies invested in green energy projects that would sprout innovation and make the world a better place and save the environment? GE is one company that is doing that right now.

The task of the GE Ecoimagination Challenge was a $200 million innovation experiment where businesses, entrepreneurs, innovators and students share their best ideas on how to build the next-generation power grid, with hopes of getting funded. The projects included 3 categories for submission: Creating Renewable Energy, Connecting Grid Efficiency and Using Ecohomes/Ecobuildings.

Here is an ingeniuus example from one of the winners in the grid category. Capstone Metering suggests using water power to power home water meters, and centralize meter readings at the water utility, saving millions of dollars and tons of CO2 that are now expended by meter-readers! Check out the other GE Ecoimagination winners and partners here.

Want to be ready for the next winter storm in your car or home with never fail lights and phone chargers? Check out our Earth-friendly products here that sell 25% off through the end of the month. AND everything we sell helps cold and hungry people.

Don’t Be Left Out In The Cold By Tax Credits That Expire At The End Of The Month!

Ever wish somebody would walk up to you and hand you money? Well, I am basically doing that right now! This is one of those moments! You can save thousands of dollars using a bunch of tax credits before they expire on December 31st. Right now homeowners like us can get tax credits for installing:

-certain wood or pellet stoves

-energy-efficient furnaces

-water heaters

-air-conditioning systems

-insulated roofs

-windows and doors

-wind turbines

-geothermal heating and cooling

-solar panels

and wall and ceiling insulation.  The tax credit covers 30% of the purchase costs up to $1,500. The cost of putting in heating and air-conditioning systems, water heaters and biomass stoves is covered in the tax credits, but installing new windows, doors, roofs and insulation is not. What are you waiting for?

Upgrading your heating and cooling, which can be as much as 50% of the average home’s energy bill. If your furnace or boiler is more than 10 years old, this may be the ideal time to replace it. All improvements must be in place and equipment in service by Dec. 31 to qualify for the tax credits.  To get the nitty-gritties on federal incentives check the Energy Star website at www.energystar.gov. And many states have additional rebates and incentives for energy efficiency. For example, in Vermont, check out the incentives and tax credits page at Efficiency Vermont.

If you decide to insulate just the area where your family spends most of their waking hours, for instance, the cost will be low but your family will be much more comfortable. If you are a handy person, insulation is a do-it-yourself project, and you save on labor costs. A couple of years ago we added extra insulation to our attic and I added insulated walls to our underground basement. For a few hundred dollars, after the tax credit, we now save hundreds a year in heating costs! In hindsight this was a no-brainer and we are socking away money now instead of wasting it needlessly.

Usually you can find local contractors by word of-mouth from talking with friends or neighbors or your community forums. If you are not in an area where there is a community network or forum you can find qualified contractors at the National Association of the Remodeling Industry website, www.nari.org. Many of the contractors have the equipment and materials ready to go, and you’ll be helping workers in an industry badly hit by the recession.

As we know tax credits are a hot-button issue and many experts say it is unlikely Congress will extend energy tax credits before the end of the year.  But having done this before, the paperwork for the tax credit is easy.  Just save the manufacturer’s certificate that states the equipment or service is eligible under the program. If not available with the product, the certificates can also be found on manufacturer’s websites.

Federal tax credits for active solar energy, residential wind turbines and geothermal heat pump systems cover 30% of all costs, including installation,with no upper limit. These credits are good on both primary homes and vacation homes, new construction or otherwise. And they don’t expire until 2016, I know, this sounds too good to be true  (and hopefully will not be repealed).

Want more information on how you can immediately start saving money every month? Buy our ebook on saving energy: How to Save Thousands on Energy. You can also buy Smart Strips Advanced Power Strips to save money on your appliance phantom loads of electricity. And don’t forget the Vermont Green Home and Living Show January 21-23 at the Essex Expo! We will be there as a sponsor and exhibitor giving away free stuff! Hope to see you there!

Every so often a cool product comes along that you get very excited about. Recently while I was staying at my family cottage I needed a flashlight. Of course, the family torch was dead, as usual. Luckily I had my trusty little Palm light. This is our best seller and there are good reasons why with bright LEDs, never needs batteries, what’s not to like? It weighs next to nothing, fits in your pocket and did I mention it lasts forever? And it is inexpensive? And eco-chic?

Check out my one minute docu-drama at the cottage and you will want one too, in fact you should buy one for all your friends and family. You can buy the Palm light now and get 25% off with our Summer2010 coupon code NOW! Buy it here!

We just added the REV Conference to our Activities Page. Here you will find experts on geothermal, PV, wind, hydro, biomass, tansportation, jobs, legislation, incentives and more. Thursday Sept 30 & Friday Oct 1. Find more information at REVermont.org

How To Make a Solar Pool Heater

I know next to nothing about swimming pools as I am more of a lake or ocean guy. But when I am hot I confess, our open invitation to our neighbor’s pool sure is welcome. And they even heat the pool to keep it reasonably comfortable in the summer. Hey it can get down in the 30′ here at night! Heating thousands of gallons of water can be expensive, and in most cases you are using electricity, which was generated by burning fossil fuels, or you are burning a fossil fuel to heat the water, that will be circulated in the pool.

But wouldn’t it be hot to heat your water without producing additional carbon in the air or dollars on your utility bills? When I saw this video title I must say I was skeptical but I am sold. First, the water is circulated using a T fitting on the regular pool circulator. Second, the sun heats water in black plastic pipes that look like part of the fencing. Third, it really works!

Check out this short video and tell me you are not amazed at the simple elegance of this system to save energy and carbon!

RocketMaker10000

How Wind Energy Works

About the Author – Mary Jones writes for the residential wind generators web site, her personal hobby blog related to tips to reduce CO2 and lower power costs using alternative power sources. Read her complete bio here.

It’s not necessary to become a nerd to learn how wind power works.

Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun and the fact that temperatures are always trying to reach an equilibrium (heat is obviously moving to a cooler area). With the rising expense of energy and the damage to the environment from classic fuels, it is increasingly equitable to harvest this renewable resource.

The advantages of wind energy are that it’s virtually free (after you buy the equipment) and there is no pollution. The disadvantages include the fact that it isn’t a constant source (the speed varies and many times it is insufficient to provide electricity) and it typically requires about one acre of land.

How Wind Energy Works

The amount of power that is available varies by wind speed. The amount available is named it’s power density which is measured in watts per square meter. For that reason, the U.S. Department of Energy has separated wind energy into classes from 1 to 7. The normal wind speed for class 1 is 9.8 mph or less while the average for a class 7 is 21.1 or more. For effective power production, class 2 winds (11.5 mph average speed) are frequently required.

Normally, wind speeds increase as you get higher above the Earth. Due to this, the conventional turbine comes with a tower at least 30 feet above obstructions. That there are two basic different kinds of towers useful for residential wind power systems (free standing and guyed). Free standing towers are self supporting and are usually heavier meaning they take special equipment (cranes) to place them. Guyed towers are supported on a concrete base and anchored by wires for support. They typically are not as heavy and most manufacturer’s produce tilt down models which can be easily raised and lowered for maintenance.

The kinetic (moving energy) from the winds is harnessed by a device known as the turbine. This turbine includes airfoils (blades) that capture the energy of the wind and use it to turn the shaft of an alternator (like you have on a car only bigger).

That there are two basic kinds of blades (drag style and lifting style). We all have seen pictures of old-fashioned windmills with the large flat blades which are an example of the drag style of airfoil. Lifting style blades are twisted instead of flat and resemble the propellor of a small airplane.

A turbine is classified as to whether it is built to be installed with the rotor in a vertical or horizontal position and whether the wind strikes the blades or the tower first. A vertical turbine typically requires less land for it’s installation and is a better option for the more urban areas worldwide. An upwind turbine is made for the wind to impact the airfoils before it does the tower.

These units ordinarily have a tail on the turbine which is required to keep the unit pointed into the wind. A downwind turbine does not require a tail as the wind acting on the blades tends to maintain it oriented properly.

These turbine systems would be damaged if they were to be allowed to turn at excessive speeds. Therefore, units must have automatic over-speed governing systems. Some systems use electrical braking systems although some use mechanical type brakes.

The output electricity from the alternator is sent to a controller which conditions it for use in the home. The usage of residential wind power systems requires the home to either remain tied to the utility grid or store electricity in a battery for use when the wind does not blow sufficiently.

When the home is linked with the grid, the excess electricity that is produced by the residential wind power system can be sold to the utility company in order to reduce and sometimes even eliminate your utility bill. During periods with not enough wind, the home is supplied power from the utility company.

The Price of Wind Energy

Small residential wind power turbines can be an attractive alternative, or addition, to those people needing more than 100-200 watts of power for their home, business, or remote facility. Unlike PV’s, which stay at basically a similar cost per watt independent of array size, wind generators get less expensive with increasing system size. At the 50 watt size level, for instance, a small residential power wind turbine would cost about $8.00/watt compared to approximately $6.00/watt for a Photo voltaic module.

For this reason, all things being equal, PV is cheaper for very small loads. As the system size gets larger, however, this “rule-of-thumb” reverses itself.

At 300 watts the wind generator costs are down to $2.50/watt, while the PV costs are still at $6.00/watt. For a 1,500 watt wind system the cost is down to $2.00/watt and at 10,000 watts the cost of a wind generator (excluding electronics) is down to $1.50/watt.