GO SOLAR!

Katzir, A.(n.d). Save Money On Your Power With Solar Roof Shingles. In Alternative Energy Base. Retrieved April 8,2009 from http://www.alternativeenergybase.com/Article/Save-Money-On-Your-Power-With-Solar-Roof-Shingles/889

Solar roof shingles will save you a lot of money. State government has agreed to look into this idea. Solar roof shingles used to be very expensive, but since they have lowered on the price you can find some as low as two hundred dollars. People can get power for a lot cheaper, also these solar shingles are made to last twenty years of power output. Also they can stand up to 80 miles per hour winds. Another great fact is that the shingles come with a warranty incase anything bad intended to happen. If people decide to purchase the solar shingles, they should check with their local and state governments, they might offer some tax credits.

Recycling Cell Phones

WWAY.(2009, April 7). No better time than the present to recycle that old cell phone.

http://wwaytv3.com/no_better_time_present_recycle_old_cell_phone/04/2009

The Environmental Protection Agency has gotten together with all different cell phones companies, to help and encourage people to recycle there old or unwanted cell phones. Every year about 100 million cell phones are thrown away. If the 100 million cell phones were recycled about 18,000 homes would be provided with energy for a year. Cell phone companies last year collected 11 million old phones, with this action taken, energy was saved and 2,000 homes were provided with electricity for a year. Also, if cell phones were recycled it would decrease the air and water pollution. Another reason to recycle your phone is because a lot of cell phone companies donate the phones to charities,for example, Verizon donates them to domestic violence shelters and AT&T for soldiers.

Solar Thermal Power

Solar thermal power just got hotter. (2009, April 8). Mother Nature Network.

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/stories/solar-thermal-power-just-got-hotter

The hottest new solar power technology being developed today is called the linear Fresnel reflector. Since the price of natural gas keeps going up this company is trying to develop and market the solar thermal technology a lot more. The linear Fresnel reflectors differs from other CSP's, with Fresnels sunlight reflects unto a single, horizontal tubular receiver, although I'm not sure what that means. Other CSP's take many receivers and cost more, but Fresnels lowers costs. Also Fresnels reflectors can squeeze more mirrors then other CSP's, and uses less land.

Greener Earth

Corlette, S.(n.d). Mazda Hydrogen RE(Hybrid): Commitment to a Greener Earth

http://www.alternativeenergybase.com/Article/Mazda-Hydrogen-RE--Hybrid---Commitment-to-a-greener-Earth/715

The Mazda Motor Corporation developed Hydrogen RE (Hydbrid) which was made to contribute to a greener environment. The RX-8 Hydrogen RE has been leased by Mazda to buisness corporations and government bodies since 2006. The dual-fuel system is convenient and it smoothly switches from gasoline and hydrogen fuel. So the ride is still a very nice and smooth one. Also it is powerful and high-speed, it has a larger trunk space, and higher seating capacity. Another feature is that it has a longer period of in-between refueling.

Water for Fuel?

Clemmons, N.C., (April 6) Automatic Hybrid, Inc. Explores Using Hydrogen from Drinking Water to Fuel Cars

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-06-2009/0005001170&EDATE=

In North Carolina, Automatic hybrid, Inc. is researching that the water that we drink can also power our vehicles and save a lot of money and our environment. Charley Charles, the president of Automatic hybrid, Inc. discovered that about 15% to 20% of the gasoline we put in our car is actually used to drive. The other percent of the energy is wasted through the exhaust via the catalytic converter that releases toxic emissions into our environment. So basically he is saying that if you put 100 dollars worth of gas, you really only use about 15 dollars of the gas to drive. The hydro-oxygen fuel from the drinking water is added, so every bit of the energy from the gasoline is used. However, Charles states that you can't just put water into your gas tank. First a functional hydrogen generating system needs to be installed in the vehicle. The goal is to help people save money on gas and really help improve our environment.

The use Of Energy

Wendell Berry makes a lot of good points in his essay, "The Unsettling of America Culture and Agriculture." We have abused our soil, we do waste our agriculture resources, and we do rely too much on machines that use up non-renewable energy sources. However, as a women who spent the early part of her life on a South American farm that did not have machines, I disagree with Mr. Berry's point that we are better off without machines. He talks a lot about humans bonding with their farm animals. That does happen, but it is back-breaking work plowing a field with an ox or donkey. There are always accidents with farm animals and when one of them dies, you can't just buy a part to fix it. Also, it isn't realistic. If half the farmers went back to stone age farming techniques, the other half who don't would quickly put them out of business.

Berry is right... we do need to use our farm resources more wisely, but it will never be able to go back to the way it used to be.

Water Resources

The article I came across on the EPA website titled Water Resources states that climate change is responsible for the reduction of water resources. In the United States, water resources are becoming limited. This is a horrible, because then that means that places will dry up, deserts will expand, people will not be able to grow crops, and eventually people could die of dehydration or conflicts over water resources.

Water is such an essential part of life that we must protect our resources at all costs. it is nice that we have groups like the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to help manage this vital resource.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/water/index.html