Affordable and Reliable Electricity

What ways are out there to make affordable and reliable electricity while reducing waste and conserving resources? Promising Technologies hit the streets to find out.We like what we heard ~

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Largest Solar-Powered Office Building In The World

A vast fan-shaped compound in China has officially taken the title of “largest solar-powered office building in the world“. Located in Dezhou in the Shangdong Province in northwest China, the 75,000 square meter structure is a multi-use building and features exhibition centers, scientific research facilities, meeting and training facilities, and a hotel – all of which run on solar power. You can read the complete article here

How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint.

You’ve probably heard of the Ecological Footprint - the metric that allows us to calculate human pressure on the planet and come up with facts, such as: If everyone lived the lifestyle of the average American we would need five planets.

How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.

< Take the Quiz Here >

The Footprint calculator offers an interactive, fun way for people to explore and reduce their Footprint. Built in partnership with Free Range Studios, the calculator received generous support from EPA Victoria, the Foundation for a Global Community, the City of Calgary, and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund. The calculator is based on data from Global Footprint Network's National Footprint Accounts.*

While the current version is based on data specifically for the U.S. and Australia, Global Footprint Network is developing an enhanced, data-rich version which will enable people around the world to calculate their Footprints with data specific to their region.

Global Footprint Network is inviting corporate, government and NGO partners to help launch the calculator worldwide. The calculator can be customized for specific organizations and geographical areas, and upcoming enhancements will include social networking opportunities and interactive features. Please contact Jennifer Mitchell at jennifer@footprintnetwork.org if you would like to be involved or would like the calculator customized for your organization.

*These data are used by NGOs such as IUCN and WWF, national governments such as the Governments of Japan, Switzerland and Canada, as well as financial institutions such as Pictet Bank, Sarasin Bank and Portfolio 21 Investments. Decisions about the data and methods used for the National Accounts are guided by a consensus, committee-based process for the ongoing scientific review of the methodology.

Copenhagen Climate Summit YouTube Video

A few YouTube members got together and created this amazing and somewhat disturbing video showing the possible outcomes of consuming too much energy. Something to think about ~ for all of us.

You can watch the video here!!

Solar Energy Surges In Southern California

It is far from the "Million Solar Roofs" that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger touted, but the number of rooftop solar installations in California has grown from an estimated 500 a decade ago to nearly 50,000 today. And in the last three years, the Golden State's solar market has more than doubled.

With city politicians fiercely competing for eco-boasting rights, a new report from the advocacy group Environment California unveils which state municipalities are making the most progress in solar installation. San Diego, with more than 2,262 solar roofs, beats out Los Angeles and San Francisco, both of which claim to be the greenest city in America. But when it comes to per capita installations, little old Nevada City tops the list, with nearly 1 in every 5 households hosting a solar system. City of Industry, outside L.A., has the most capacity per capita, with 1.5 kilowatts installed per person.

The bad news: Solar power still accounts for less than 1% of energy nationwide. And even in solar-friendly California, it is hampered by the lack of a robust feed-in tariff, such as the one in Germany, which would allow homeowners who install extra capacity to sell their electricity back to utilities at a favorable rate. A bill sponsored by Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), AB 920, to do just that is fiercely opposed by utilities and has so far failed to garner enough support for passage -- not to mention backing by the green governator.