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Do-It-Yourselfers & Contractors -
Learn from the solar water heaters industry leader
Vermont is a state known for its environmental progressiveness on many issues. When it was proposed that wind power
be implemented to take advantage of wind energy flowing over its scenic hills and mountains the first reaction was generally positive. Now however some folks are taking a hard stance against the building of these new windmills. The reason, it would ruin the view of the scenic moutnains in their backyards.
This is an interesting dilemma that is faced by many communities. Should they go green and sacrifice some of the scenic value of their locale? For certain there are many locations in the US where communities built big ugly power plants in other wise scenic places for some good and some not so good reasons. Here in California they have built several big nuclear power plants right on the ocean front, and oil burning power plants along scenic coastal bays.
When farmer Greg Bryant first heard about plans for windmills along a swath of mountain ridges in this northeastern Vermont hamlet, he was all for it. The idea of tapping a plentiful natural resource for power was appealing.
Now he's dead set against it, one of many people here who fear the prospect of 400-foot tall windmills sprouting from the tops of picturesque mountains.
The view or the wind power? Read more here.
Solar power and solar energy generation has been promoted by a fringe group of entuhisiasts for some time. In recent years the ball has begun rolling in a much bigger way as more and more R&D has gone into developing larger format solutions that are cheaper and more efficient.
Now the big question is can that push be made so that the average American gets on board with solar? At the strike of the new year 2007 SB 1 will become law in California and aims to spearhead that push. SB 1 provides 3.2 billion dollars in funding to build a million solar powered homes in the next ten years. Some have called it welfare, while others welcome it with open arems and call it a revolution in moving solar to the next level of acceptance.
"If the solar industry is going to continue to thrive and expand we are going to have to separate ourselves from the alternative fuels debate. The technology is good now. It can be distributed now. Now is when we have to sell."
California Senator Kevin Murray
"It's not a policy thing… Now we have to implement [SB 1] so that people begin to realize solar is something they can use everyday," said Murray, who authored the Million Solar Roofs bill.
image : BP Solar
The Home Depot, which has partnered with BP Solar, has already begun marketing a solar system and installation program to the mainstream by offering its customers the ability to sign-up online for free, in-home consultations.
"If the solar industry is going to continue to thrive and expand we are going to have to separate ourselves from the alternative fuels debate," Murray said. "The technology is good now. It can be distributed now. Now is when we have to sell."
Amen to that.
Are you a believer of Global warming or not? Or are you one of the cynics yet to be convinced? Well both have a part to play in the Global Warming arena debate. The whole issue is surrounded by facts and figures but when these facts and figures are looked at it is very difficult to prove them with science, so you end up with hearsay.
More: continued here
There is a big debate out there on how much energy consumption that our nation can reduce through technology and conservation. If we concentrate on efficiency one recent report suggest that we can reduce our energy usage by up to 35%, yet the Environmental Protection Agency disagrees, stating in a recent report that the United States of America can save 50% of its energy consumption by 2025 or before.
More: continued here
