Green Earth Power

Today Congress passed legislation, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, H.R. 1424, that includes a new federal-level investment tax credit to help consumers purchase small wind turbines for home, farm, or business use. A few hours ago, President Bush signed the bill into law. Owners of small wind systems with 100 kilowatts (kW) of capacity and less can receive a credit for 30% of the total installed cost of the system, not to exceed $4,000. The credit will be available for equipment installed from today through December 31, 2016. For turbines used for homes, the credit is limited to the lesser of $4,000 or $1,000 per kW of capacity.

“We thank Congress for recognizing and supporting small wind systems as an important contributor toward energy security and a cleaner environment. This credit will help individuals cut their electric bills while combating global warming and reducing our importation of fossil fuels in a tangible way,” says Ron Stimmel, Small-Wind Advocate with the American Wind Energy Association.

This legislation marks the first federal incentive for small wind systems since 1985. Industry members say the credit could foster U.S. market growth of 40% or more annually for the largely American based industry.

Wind energy is not only a significant component of the global warming solution, but also a powerful engine in the U.S. economy.  Since January 2007, more than 40 wind industry manufacturing facilities have been announced, brought online, or expanded in the U.S., creating over 9,000 jobs and $1 billion in manufacturing investment.  When the PTC has lapsed in the past, wind energy investments have fallen 73-93% in the following years.  We cannot allow this bright spot in our economy to burn out.

The small wind tax credit is now a part of the latest Economic Stabilization ‘Bail Out’ bill before Congress. The proposed Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for small wind systems, formerly part of H.R. 6049, will provide up to a $4,000 tax credit for the installation of a Skystream, as well as tax credits for solar and large wind.

To ensure passage of the bill, we are asking all interested parties to call House members from either party urging them to support the Economic Stabilization legislation. This new bill will likely pass the Senate tonight, but prospects in the House are much more uncertain.

We need your help in ensuring that the House will support and PASS the Senate package that was approved last night.  Please contact your Representative and urge him or her to vote ‘Yes’ on the Economic Stabilization Bill, H.R. 1424.

We need to do all that we can, to develop technologies, which are behind geothermal free energy generation. This is a largely untapped area of tremendous alternative energy possibilities, as it simply taps the free energy being naturally produced by the Earth herself. There is huger amount of free energy lying just beneath the surface of the earth on which we live, and saddling it is the greatest job.

The temperature at the center of the earth is 60 times greater than the boiling point of water and the heat emanating from it create pressures which can be felt only a few miles under the surface of the earth. This enormous heat is a store of almost limitless energy and result in super hot fluids called magma, which we can see whenever a volcano erupts. Such heated fluids sometimes leach up to the surface as steam and vents out through various openings.

We could also make these vents and simultaneously build appropriate chambers where the magma can be held for later conversion to free energy, which would develop electricity to light or heat up our homes. To produce a geo-thermal plant, a well needs to be dug in an area with abundant source of magma or heated fluid, then a pipe has to be used to bring up the fluid on to the surface level to get the required steam power. The steam would turn a turbine, which would generate the electrical energy.

There are criticisms of geo-thermal energy tapping which prevents it being applied on the large scale which it should be. Critics claim that finding the right area for tapping these resources would be too costly as well as time-consuming. Additionally, set up cost of a geothermal plant is again cost-consuming and there is not guarantee that the venture would yield profits later. Some geothermal sites, once tapped, might be found to not produce a large enough quantity of steam for the power plant to be viable or reliable.

Even environmentalists have stated their concern that pumping up magma could also carry with it several damaging materials. However the advantages of geothermal energy can easily beat these criticisms, if only we examined the matter in greater depth. We must realize that since the root of the energy is the earth, it can never carry any contamination. geothermal energy is extremely efficient — the efforts required to channel it are minimal after a site is found and a plant is set up.

geothermal plants, moreover, do not need to be as large as electrical plants, giant dams, or atomic free energy facilities - the environment would be less disrupted. Nevertheless, it is an alternate form of free energy and using it would mean we become that much less reliant on oil and coal. The most important point in the favor of geo-thermal free energy is that we would never run it out and nor would its value increase with time, as it is an endless source. Since ultimately the use of geothermal free energy is cost-effective the cost of building the power plant can be recovered in no time.

One of the best ways that you can save money and help the environment is by using solar water heating in your home and for your pool. Water heaters can add hundreds of dollars to you bill every year. They also require electricity or gas to heat the water and keep it hot, thus using up natural resources, and in most cases these are non-renewable.

The use of solar energy can provide a number of welcome benefits. Producing electrical energy except in the cases where it is produced using renewable resources, uses up a significant amount of natural resources or uses highly dangerous substances in order to create the energy that you need in every day life. The prices of natural resources have been skyrocketing and that makes it more difficult to afford. Finding renewable and inexpensive ways to provide for some of the energy in your home cannot only help to lower the demand for natural resources it can also save you on your energy bill.

Another benefit is the fact that you can have access to solar water heating whenever the sun is up, and the energy can be stored for future use.

Solar water heating is perfect for swimming pool heating. Swimming pool heaters can cost a fortune to run. However, using solar water heating you can enjoy the benefits of having a heated pool all year round without having to increase your energy costs. Solar water heating can also be partly accomplished by placing the pool in a location that gets almost constant sun. This will contribute to radiant and stored heat allowing the water to maintain a higher temperature.

Recent reports that have come out have indicated that there is a need to use renewable sources of energy, and materials when it comes to building, and usage. An increasing number of companies are having new locations built using recycled materials. They are making use of solar energy to supply some if not all the energy they need and more and more homes are switching to alternative cheaper methods of obtaining power that are renewable sources.

Even if you do not power your entire house with solar energy, just supplying the energy necessary to heat your water can make a huge impact on your energy bill. You can do your part to help protect the environment, make use of an abundant energy source and enjoy the solar water heating in both your pool and your home. With the use of batteries to help store the energy, even sunless days do not cause concern for solar powered amenities this is especially true if the only things you are powering are water heating devices because you can make use of less energy and smaller batteries than would be necessary for larger applications.

Imagine the colossal amount of waste we humans create on a daily basis.

The U.S.-based Algalita Marine Research Foundation identified a huge trash pile floating just beneath the surface of the North Pacific Central Gyre.  It’s a spot in the ocean where the wind barely blows, the current flows clockwise and the ocean is often undisturbed and glassy, a leisurely spot for a garbage flow twice the size of the continental U.S.

Back in 2000 the crew of the Algalita Foundation’s ship, set out to study the gyre and reported, “The low point of our 6000 mile voyage to the North Pacific High was the discovery of an alarmingly large number of plastic bags in the center of the North Pacific Central Gyre.”

It took 10 miles for the ship to leave the mess behind. 

That was eight years ago.  In 2007 the ORV Alguita expedition showed “a five-fold increase in plastic quantities in the Gyre.”  In their report they said “The biggest concentrationi we find is of wrappers from potato chip bags, food wrappers, plastic water bottles and Styrofoam, and those start at your trash bin on your street.”

Back on land, awareness of the plastic problem is building.  Most communities do not recycle plastic effeciently.  Even though plastic bags are technically recyclable, they cannot go in curbside pick-up because they gum up automated sorting equipment and shut down the line.  With no good place to toll plastic bags, they end up being litter.  You see them stuck in trees, they wind up in creeks and can potentially be harmful for birds and animals.

Some cities are considering banning plastic bags; San Francisco has already done so.  Whole Foods Market discontinued use of plastic in all 270 stores on Earth Day, while other retailers like Wal-Mart accept used plastic bags for recycling. 

One way around the plastic problem is to carry your own reusable shopping totes to the grocery store and other retailers. 

What we say is “Do no more harm.”  Stop  contributing to our thow-away society.