Taos Solar Music Festival Promotes Renewable Energy with the Power of Music

The festival’s Solar Stage will be powered by photovoltaic panels while the main stage uses the wind energy from Kit Carson Electric

clipped from http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=64833 Proclaimed the Solar Capital of the World, Taos, New Mexico has been committed to going green for a long time, and this summer thousands of people from around the world will gather their umbrellas, sunscreen, family and friends, and make a musical pilgrimage to this high desert town for the 10th Annual Taos Solar Music Festival. Renowned for its brave and eclectic montage of musical acts, a solar and wind powered stage and educational Solar Village, the 2008 festival is scheduled for June 27-29th. http://www.solarmusicfest.com. They’re walking the walk and living green. The festival’s Solar Stage will be powered by photovoltaic panels while the main stage uses the wind energy from Kit Carson Electric

First zero-carbon city to rise out of the desert

clipped from environment.newscientist.com One of the world's largest oil producers has begun construction on the first zero-carbon city, powered entirely by renewable energy. Officials from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, touted plans for a $22 billion development known as the Masdar Initiative at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in Cambridge, US, in on 5 May. "This is going to create huge business and research opportunities to get beyond where we are today," says Khaled Awad, of the government-owned Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company. Solar power, in the form of photovoltaic panels, concentrated solar collectors, and solar thermal tubes will provide 82% of the city's energy needs.

Engineering wonder world's longest sea-crossing bridge (China)

clipped from blogs.usatoday.com The world's longest sea-crossing bridge opened in China just a few days ago, an engineering wonder designed to cut in half the travel time between Shanghai and the key port of Ningbo — from four hours to about two. But as with many/most traffic projects, planners just couldn't factor in the variables of one confounding element: humans. Since the Hangzhou Bay Bridge opened Friday, traffic has doubled. "I just wanted to drive a bit slowly and enjoy the sea breeze. Is that wrong?" one driver complained, according to Zhejiang Online clipped from www.roadtraffic-technology.com The 36km-long Hangzhou Bay Bridge is a six-lane highway bridge and the longest ocean-crossing bridge in the world. The service island at the middle of the Hangzhou Bay Bridge serves as a sightseeing location for drivers and can also support rescue services. "Designed for 100 years of service life, the bridge has speed limits of 100km/h for the main spans and 120km/h for land approaches."

$60 Million for Advanced Concentrating Solar Power Technologies

clipped from www.energy.gov U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Clarence “Bud” Albright today announced the issuance of the Solar Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $60 million in funding over five years (Fiscal Years 2008-2012), which includes $10 million in FY 2008 appropriations and $10 million in the FY 2009 Budget request, to support the development of low-cost Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology. “Harnessing the natural and abundant power of the sun and more cost-effectively converting it into energy is an important component of our comprehensive strategy to commercialize and deploy advanced clean, alternative technologies that will allow us to become less reliant on foreign oil,” Albright said.  “The Administration’s investment in solar technology will not only bolster innovation, but will help meet the President’s goal of making solar power cost-competitive with conventional sources of electricity over the next seven years.”

U.S. Department of Energy Partners with City to Help Rebuild With 100 Percent Renewable Energy

clipped from www.energy.gov The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today highlighted its renewable energy and energy efficient building design assistance - valued at up to $1.25 million - in rebuilding the City of Greensburg, Kansas, one of the first cities in the country to power its homes and businesses through continuous renewable energy.  Following the tornado that hit Greensburg last year, DOE dedicated a team of experts to advise Greensburg in construction of an advanced wind energy system and the use of efficient building technologies and designs.

Eat, Shop, Live Green in New York

clipped from cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com For those looking for a helpful green guide without the guilt, Greenopia has come up with a new handbook that is printed on recycled paper (chlorine-free), produced by a printer that is virtually volatile-organic-compound-free, researched by combustion-engine-free people who took public transportation or bicycles, and produced in a carbon-offsetty way such that any wayward CO2 output is covered by a donation to Carbonfund.org Looking for kennel-free doggie day-care

Oil conservation: getting over the hump

clipped from krugman.blogs.nytimes.com Trade in your SUV — the answer to high oil prices is here! Farmers in the Indian state of Rajasthan are rediscovering the humble camel. As the cost of running gas-guzzling tractors soars, even-toed ungulates are making a comeback, raising hopes that a fall in the population of the desert state’s signature animal can be reversed. Market prices for these “ships of the desert”, which crashed with the growing affordability of motorised transport, are rising again as oil prices soar. A sturdy male with a life expectancy of 60-80 years now fetches up to Rs40,000 ($973), compared to Rs5,000-Rs10,000 three years ago, according to Hanuwant Singh of the Lokhit Pashu-Palak Sansthan, a non-profit welfare organisation for livestock keepers. Entry-level tractors cost around $4,000. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s camel parking in the Prospect Street garage.

Green Ink: Pollution and Bad Hair

clipped from blogs.wsj.com Auto makers and dealers are going to the states to stop lawmakers from following California’s move to regulate greenhouse-gas emissions, writes the WSJ As automakers gear up to introduce plug-in hybrid cars in 2010, they are worried that rising electricity prices may deter consumers The Boston Globe reports on states’ efforts to reduce green-house gas emissions The United Nations Climate Panel is optimistic that a climate change deal can be reached by 2009 The Nature article on “global cooling” has been widely misreported Earth2Tech has a roundup of information-technology entrepreneurs entering the cleantech market looking for the next “Google of cleantech men living in polluted areas are more likely to go bald, according to a new study from the University of London

Ancient Volcano Erupts after 10,000 Years

clipped from news.aol.com The Chaiten volcano spewed light ash on a nearly deserted village Saturday, two days after its first eruption in thousands of years Just six miles away, the volcano belched fat smoke plumes that at times rose as high as 12 miles into the air, the government's Emergency Bureau said. Winds carried the ash to other towns in the region and across the Andes mountains to Argentina, where two airlines suspended flights due to poor visibility. The Chaiten volcano has "probably been dormant for about 9,000 or 10,000 years but that's not unusual," said Charles Stern, a professor of volcanology at the University of Colorado who specializes in Andes volcanoes. "This could be the end of our town," "We have worked an entire life here and now all we could do was to put a few things in a bag and depart, leaving everything behind."

America's Greenest Colleges

clipped from www.forbes.com Long a hotbed of environmental activism, America's campuses are blooming green. Schools are committing to reducing their carbon dioxide emissions, they're funneling endowment money into renewable-energy investment funds, and students--the engine behind much of this growth--are pushing for more. In Pictures: America's Greenest Colleges clipped from www.forbes.com Read the full story Brian Wingfield

Shell Game: Oil Giant Pulls out of U.K. Wind Farm

clipped from blogs.wsj.com We’ve mentioned before the belief that high oil prices will inevitably spur more alternative energy. Royal Dutch Shell said it is pulling out of the “London Array,” which—if it ever gets built—will be one of the world’s largest wind farms. Shell’s departure leaves the other two partners, Germany’s E.On and Denmark’s DONG, holding the bag on an increasingly expensive and complex project The Times of London called the departure a “huge blow” to Britain’s ambitious plans to harness offshore wind to meet growing energy needs. The Guardian is harsher: Even though it isn’t clear if or when U.S. federal clean-energy subsidies will be renewed, European utilities are champing at the bit to enter the U.S. wind market.

Answers About Alternative Energy in New York City

clipped from cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com Following is a first set of answers from Carol E. Murphy, who is taking questions from City Room readers about alternative energy choices for consumers, what New York City is doing to decrease its reliance on fossil fuels and how city dwellers can decrease their “carbon footprint.” Readers are invited to submit additional questions using the comment form below. Is New York doing enough to promote solar? Incentives, research, tax breaks? New York is playing catch up with the rest of the nation when it comes to investment in and policies promoting solar energy. Gov. David A. Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force calls for a comprehensive program for solar photovoltaic and solar thermal (heating water for domestic use and space heating) with a goal of 100 megawatts of installed solar PV systems and 1,100 solar thermal systems across New York by 2011. New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. , Audubon Ask About Alternative Energy

DOE Seeks to Invest up to $60 Million for Advanced Concentrating Solar Power Technologies

clipped from www.energy.gov U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Clarence “Bud” Albright today announced the issuance of the Solar Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $60 million in funding over five years Increasing the use of solar energy is an important component of the Administration’s efforts to diversify our nation’s energy sources in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security. The FOA makes funding available for projects from industry and academia that develop advanced thermal storage concepts and heat transfer fluids to further increase the efficiency of concentrating solar power plants Read more information on the President’s Solar America and Advanced Energy Initiatives and the Department of Energy’s commercialization efforts on the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's website. Financial Opportunities page or Grants.gov.

OT: The Allure of the Forever Stamp

On May 12 the price of a stamp is rising by one cent. (a 2.4 percent increase). Right now you have the opportunity to lock in the 41 cent price forever. Is there any doubt, given the cost of gasoline, that the price will be rising again soon? This might rank as one of the best investments opportunities for businesses in a long time.

The stamp is quite handsome as you can see.

clipped from thelede.blogs.nytimes.com Risky investments and rising prices seem to be everywhere these days For the past year, branches have been selling “The Forever Stamp” for 41 cents each “The stamp will be good for mailing one-ounce First-Class letters anytime in the future — regardless of price changes,” the agency promises. As the penny increase of May 12 nears, the forever deal is proving irresistible to millions of Americans, according to today’s news release: In the past several weeks, Postal Service customers have been buying Forever Stamps at a rate of about 30 million per day, bringing the amount sold to more than 6 billion since they were first offered. The Associated Press further detailed the climb, reporting forever stamp sales of $267,696,023 in March, $207,900,132 in February and $115,303,031 in January When the standard stamp switches to 42 cents, so will the forever version, thus commencing a new round of forever stamp stockpiling.

The World's Biggest Clean-Energy Projects

Use the links to read the full story and to view the pictures and descriptions of the biggest clean energy projects.

clipped from www.forbes.com In Pictures: The World's Biggest Clean-Energy Projects clipped from www.forbes.com Read the full story William Pentland

Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's

clipped from smartclips.blogspot.com Don't forget. Free cone day at Ben & Jerry's is Tuesday, April 29, 2008. To find a scoop shop near you Go Here. Enjoy!!!

OT: Why This Oil Shock is the Big One

clipped from blogs.wsj.com Oil is up almost $30 a barrel in just four months, trading Friday as high as $119.50 a barrel. Demand in China continues to fuel demand Domestic oil demand has dropped 1.6% over the last year as the economy weakens “an exogenous shock, similar to to the supply shortages of the mid-1970s, early 1980s and briefly in the early 1990s.” spending on energy as a share of wage income has shot up above 6% topping the 1974-75 and 1990-91 shocks to be the worst since the 1980-81 runup the current shock is far worse than any of the three prior ones, The figures “suggest that energy costs will crowd out other spending components because income growth is being stifled by weakness in payroll employment,” “Moreover, relatively thin saving flows offer consumers little cushion against the rising oil prices.” Weak retail sales — from cars to appliances to clothing — are clear signs of the effect

'Rent-a-solar-cell' on the drawing board

clipped from www.nashuatelegraph.com One way photovoltaic power is spreading in other parts of the country is by firms installing their solar cells on top of other companies' buildings – basically, leasing roof space and sharing the resulting income from electric generation. A Delaware company called CitizenRe wants to bring that model to homeowners. It's trying to establish a "rent-a-solar-cell" model around the country, using local agents recruited in an Amway-like, network-level marketing model. Kesty, who has a degree in environmental studies, thinks people who want to cut greenhouse-gas emissions will jump at the chance of getting solar power with fewer hassles and without having to invest in the hardware Details are still meager This lack of details has produced plenty of skeptics who don't believe the cost of building and installing small arrays of photovoltaic cells on thousands of roofs can be covered by the power they generate.

A Peek at U.S. Energy Subsidies

clipped from blogs.wsj.com Ever wondered how much U.S. federal energy subsidies amount to—and who’s getting them? So did Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander who almost a year ago asked the Energy Information Administration to cough up the latest numbers This month, the EIA did. Since 1999, federal energy subsidies have more than doubled—from $8.2 billion to $16.6 billion in 2007 Renewables” landed $4.8 billion last year, but that includes $3.25 billion for ethanol and other biofuels Coal and cleaner-burning “refined” coal took home $3.3 billion nuclear power industry got $1.3 billion Federal energy subsidies seem to dominate discussion on the Hill (and overseas) Sen. Alexander argued against the current subsidy mix After a doubling of federal energy subsidies in eight years, the EIA notes, U.S. total energy production is “virtually unchanged” at 72 quadrillion British Thermal Units with the significant incentives provided to various production segments of the energy sector would tend to raise domestic energy production.

Gadgets that help you Conserve Energy at Home

clipped from www.usnews.com These gadgets save power without breaking the bank Simple meters can help identify energy hogs. The Kill A Watt (about $25 online) monitors the electricity used at one outlet. Even when switched off, most electronics continue sucking small streams of current. That phantom load can consume 5 to 20 percent of a home's total electrical bill. The Bye Bye Standby starter kit (about $30) uses a wireless remote control to completely cut power to two outlets. HYmini ($50) can put wind power into a handset. A battery stores electricity for small devices, such as cellphones, and can be charged from an outlet. The Black & Decker CMM1200 ($400) packs enough of a charge to cut a third of an acre. It's also the first mower to earn an Energy Star rating. Tankless heaters deliver water on demand The Rheem RTG-53 (about $800) can supply two showers at a time, including north of the Mason-Dixon Line. the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 12 (about $350) can provide enough water for one satisfying shower at a time