With all of these possibilities for alternative fuel it’s no surprise that the most prevalent and practical is the one that doesn’t need to be manufactured, it comes to us like the breeze—Wind Power. Gigantic windmills pepper the hill lines of many states giving a safer, cleaner, and more economic power source.

With the exception of Don Quixote’s vicious and unprovoked attack of windmills, they are in general widely accepted as an efficient way to lower costs of electricity. Energy from windmills is significantly cheaper than the usual cost of electricity. Wind powered turbines yield three times as much energy for the cost as compared to gas turbines.

New York, Dedicated to Alternative Electric Power; New Yorkers, eh…not as much.

Big plans are in the works for New York City, who are so invested in the idea of a windmill it has been on their state crest for 400 years. It will take another 15 or so years to actually construct the windmills though. The windmills will be set up on bridges and buildings and could provide 10-20% of the city’s energy. So during the next city wide blackout in New York, a smooth 10-20% of the city won’t get looted.

The project is an ambitious one and, depending on the economy, it could be an unrealistic one. When approached with the possibility of windmills on his building, Donald Trump said he likes the idea of windmills in the city, but not necessarily on his building.

Why would he? It’s not like he has any trouble paying that extra 10-20% difference in his electricity bill.

Save the Birds Now, or Save Ourselves Later?

In Puerto Rico, windmills made some unlikely enemies: wildlife conservationists. Those who want to protect the environment by using a safe, clean, renewable form of electricity for humans were in direct confrontation with those who want to protect the innocent little Nightjar, a grey night bird who dwells in the forest that was the desired area to construct the windmills.

There were merciless battles of folk songs, free love, and picket signs. The battle field was riddled with burned out victims of protest, herbal tea, and Volkswagen vans. Needless to say, the need of the Nightjar beat out the need of the humans. Puerto Rico will not have the windmills that could sustain power for more than 20,000 families, but they do have Nightjars!

The rationale for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the opposition to the humbled windmill, was that Puerto Rico is all set with its oil, which burns more than enough to provide electricity for the island. A tip of my hat goes to you, Puerto Rico, and boy am I glad to know there is somewhere in this crazy world where I can still hunt Nightjars!

Whether it is Don Quixote, Donald Trump, or those at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, they show what a truly self sacrificing bunch we humans can be, if not downright masochistic. Whether it’s a keeping your corner office view windmill-free or keeping an ugly grey bird fat and happy, don’t ask us to sacrifice what we want, we will only sacrifice what we need: a renewable energy source and our earth.

Hydrogen fuel cells are viewed as the great savior of our massive oil consumption.  They seem to be the answer to finite energy resources and they are said to be good for the environment too. 

This technology works by combining hydrogen with fuels cells.  The Fuel cells operate by taking in hydrogen which reacts with a catalyst.  That catalyst separates the atomic particles known as protons and electrons and they travel two different paths.   The electrons pass through a cathode, which generates energy, while the protons mix with oxygen and releases the byproduct: environmentally safe, clean water.  Sounds simple enough that it just might work, but not anytime soon.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is not advanced enough to make owning hydrogen fueled cars a legitimate possibility just yet. The goal is by 2015 to have a fuel cell that will last for more than 5,000 hours durability and 300 miles per fill up.  A massive gas station to hydrogen refueling station conversion must also take place, and who knows how long that will take. 

High Quality Vehicles Equals Cheaper Fuel Costs for You

The cost of hydrogen fuel for auto owners is going to be completely dependent on how well vehicles will operate.  If the fuel cell vehicles have a 250 mile range and 2,000 hours of durability it will be about $3.00/gge (gasoline gallon equivalent). With the 300 mile range and 5,000 hours of durability, the goal of 2015, the prices will be $2.50/gge.  As we all know, that fifty cents per gallon makes a very big difference.

Hydrogen Fuel, the Revival of the American Dream

Billions of dollars will make an extremely large difference when it comes to funding all things hydrogen fuel. The fuel cell industry has asked President Barack Obama to set aside 1.2 billion dollars for research, development, and stimulus. 

The industry has stated that the 1.2 billion dollars will provide several opportunities:

·         Shake our dependency on foreign oil

·         An environmentally safe alternative to gas

·         Create jobs

With bail outs abundant, why not toss some money to something that could potentially save the economy, save the environment, and save the country in one swoop?

Arnold to the Rescue

There have been steps to making the transition to a fuel cell adapted society.  In California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger began setting up hydrogen refueling stations.  Although it seems a bit premature, if you have seen Total Recall then you have confidence that Arnold knows what the future holds.  He has made stations in urban areas for those few who have hydrogen fuel cars, mostly incentive projects from the auto industry or environmental companies.  

Though the fuel cell automobile technology is available, at this point it is very impractical.  Hydrogen fuel cells for cars can only provide a driver with about 35 miles before another fill up is required.  This makes driving anywhere, with the exception of the Gov. Schwarzenegger’s urban hydrogen refueling hotspots, nearly impossible. 

Strides are being made but not at the pace many would like.  Much more funding and focus will be needed to make this alternative a reality. It may be a while before the hydrogen fuel cell is needed, but it also may be a while before they become a realistic alternative to our gas powered cars.  As Plato aptly put it, “necessity is the mother of invention.”  So now we wait for the necessity.

Solar Power: From Saving money to Saving the World

The term solar power instantly recalls images of a seventh grade science text book, solar cookers, and a futuristic fantasy.  This future is becoming reality. 

Solar power is taking the sun’s light and converting it into usable energy. Think of a plant using sunlight to grow.  The sun hits the Photovoltaic (PV), or solar panels, and disturbs electrons giving enough movement to be harnessed as an electrical current.  The amount and the intensity of the sun’s rays is directly linked to how much energy can be produced. 

Although the technology has been available for more than fifty years very few strides have been made, partly because the initiative and concern have been absent.  That is until now.  Recently, MIT professors have hit a long anticipated milestone where solar power can be stored.  Now solar power can be used when the sun goes down, if the proper amount of energy was stored during the sunlight hours.

 The advancements made coupled with the efforts to “go green,” rocketing electricity prices, and government incentives have many businesses and institutions looking for solar powered alternatives.  These alternatives reach far beyond the solar panels on houses, unpractical solar powered cars, and your old calculator from 1994.

Electrify your Underwire

Now woman, and the adventurous male, can sport the new Japanese made solar powered bra.  This bra will enable people to sunbath, absorb some rays, and keep their phones or iPods charged.  Maybe not chic, subtle, or stylish but for those who cannot afford to be without a phone, even while relaxing, it could prove invaluable.

Solar Cookers to Save Lives

On the more humanitarian front the classic solar cookers are making a revival.  In places like the Sudan the solar cooker is a coveted commodity.  Because of the dangers in the region, many women and children are forced to stay indoors for fear of their life.   With inexpensive solar cookers, the task of risking one’s life to gather wood so a family can cook is eliminated.

Artificial Self-sustaining Oasis?

The most ambitious solar powered project is called the Sahara Forest Project.  Sound like an oxymoron? Give it a couple years and it may be as real as jumbo shrimp.  The project’s goal is to use solar power to evaporate sea water creating cool air, pure water, and the possibility of naturally operating.  If this project succeeds it will turn an immeasurable amount of unusable land into fertile grounds.  This is piquing the interest of many African and Middle Eastern countries.

With its booming possibilities and growing necessity, solar power can change the world.  The ability to use a replenishing source of energy could be the most precious secret to the survival of people across the world. 

So, you’re shopping for a non-toxic household cleaner. While you’re at Target, you peruse the section of eco-friendly cleaners and gaze at all the pretty liquids and bottles like you normally do.  After a short bit, you reach for the same bottle as always. Feel that weight in your hands? All that liquid? Ya, that’s heavy. Imagine the incredible amount of fossil fuel burned in order to transport millions of those things.

Now, put down that filled bottle and take a step back. Look around for an empty spray bottle- it should look like this:

Pick that up. Weighs nothing, right? That means it’s easy to transport. Notice that tiny refill cartridge? That consumes 93% less plastic than the cleaners you normally reach for. You pour that into the empty bottle and mix it with water at home. And that empty spray bottle is refillable at least seven times.

So this revolutionary plant-based cleaner is out there, doing it’s job, saving the world and cleaning your home. However, the manufacturer is really close to pulling Essentials off the shelves- forever.

Why? Because it has no consumer support whatsoever. Perhaps the concept of buying an empty bottle isn’t rewarding enough for most people? There might be lots of reasons.

But the thing is, other manufacturers are watching Essentials under a microscope. If it tanks, those
companies are going to see that consumers aren’t actually buying green, they’re just talking about it.

In order to prevent this from happening, we need to get out and vote with our dollars. Pay the three bucks and tell Arm and Hammer and the rest of the manufacturers “Yes! We want green products!”. This is about more than just saving one single product, its about changing the way we think about the things we buy.

So what can you do? Take that bottle of Arm and Hammer Essentials and buy it. Buy four. Give them as gifts for the holidays. Tell your friends and family to do the same. Guess what, you’ve just gotten corporate America to take one step closer to truly respecting the environment.

Head to http://www.saveessentials.com for more information.

Engineers as well as people looking for alternative fuel options have been experimenting with the use of vegetable oil as a fuel for over a hundred years. The petroleum shortages in the 30’s and 40’s catalyzed the research of vegetable oil as fuel and again in the 70’s and 80’s. This research shortly ended when gas prices fell and there was a greater interest in using biodiesel as an alternative fuel where extensive vehicle changes were not necessary. Read the rest of this entry »