Heard this on Radio. Nevada is going high tech with renewable energy. Read/listen to the story here. 

To make matters worse, the DOE research team also determined that the computer dashboard readings for fuel economy – which most drivers use to base their judgment rather than manually calculating the actual mpg -inflates mileage numbers by somewhere between 10 to 20 percent.

On the brighter side, the testing dispelled a persistent myth that the rechargeable batteries need to be frequently replaced.

Hybrids, once thought out to be “the solution” to lessen the pollution burden of gasoline hungry Americans just might be a Wolf in Sheep’s clothing. My contention, “a market squarely focused on Hybrid is limited and lacks technology diversification. We need to develop small cars with small engines, reducing the weight of vehicles by using more plastic, and stopping marketing SUVs as safer vehicles.” Hybrids, well, if that is how Diaz and DiCaprio feel connected to planet Earth, let em pass.

Originally posted at environment.thoughtmechanics.com

Source: Hybridcars.com

 

Tags: Oil, Hybrid, DOE, Engineered, Activism, Engineer, Sustainability, Environment, Energy, Technology

Originally posted on headsetoptions.org

Texas, my first home away from home is proud to be the largest producer of wind energy, that, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Texas ’s cumulative total capacity was at 2,370 MW, about 50 MW more than California’s annual production. This translates into enough power to serve over 600,000 average American homes. For a complete list of wind power projects in your area, visit AWEA and click on your state.

Source: AWEA press release.

 

AWEA Mission: The mission of the American Wind Energy Association is to promote wind power growth through advocacy, communication, and education.

Photo Courtesy: twi.co.uk

 

Tags: News, Wind, Engineered, Environment, Economics, Energy, Technology, AWEA, Wind Farm, Alternative Energy, Green Energy

Such are the questions I face daily, not from outside, but from within, and there are no good answers. Nonetheless, it would not be unwise to theorize that most people lead their lives by inherited ideologies, things that they grow up with or ones they grown onto.

As a student in upstate New York, I was sure my professional life would be dedicated to serving the common good of mankind, but years later, I am not too sure if I even came close. One thing is for sure, the time I put into thinking about what I did not do has increased, while the actual time I dedicated to doing it has shortened considerably. With my hectic schedule, the best I could do is to scribble a few lines each day.

One might ask, what then are the alternatives for the corporate types? Is activism necessarily a full-time job? Are there avenues to pursue your passion in parallel with your career? The answers are yes, no and maybe, in that order.

Yes, there are alternatives for those stuck in a office, for starters, practicing a eco-friendly lifestyle in itself is the best way to lead. Set examples at work, take initiatives which involves improvement to workplace using eco-friendly products and concepts. Recycle everything, paper, plastic, metals, electronics, whatever. Turn your light off at day and use natural light whenever possible. Avoid keeping your laptops plugged into the electrical socket when the battery is completely charged. Use less electronics, unless you have to. Print less, use PDF whenever possible. Email, instead of snail mail or fax. Ride a bus, train, or car pool. Pack your lunch, avoid the vending machine, processed food, soda etc.

No, activism is not a full0time job, it’s a lifestyle, and the rule more than often is “less is more.” Less consumption of energy and resources & less waste usually results in more savings for today and for our future.

Maybe, it all depends on what you really think is important and where you live. For those residing in the US, heres a directory of advocacy groups in America, with many focused on environmental issues. Search your phone directory or do a simple search on the internet/Wikipedia, you are bound to find a group/chapter that you may want to volunteer with.

Finally, for those that were not following this story in inner-city Los Angles, where movie star Daryl Hannah was arrested with dozens of protestors, who were trying to stop a landowner from building over a community garden. She was caught sitting on top of a tree!!! Actor…ism?

Photo Courtesy: Yahoo News & Packaginggraphics.net

 

Tags: Urban, Tips/Tools, Engineered, Activism, Engineer, Conserve, Actress

GMOs are not new, they have been in use since the early 70’s. Just as old is the controversy that surrounds the science of genetic engineering. Noteworthy of it all is the transgenic plant group, which would make the top 10 on most environmentalists’ hit list. Transgenic plants are engineered using recombinant DNA techniques to create plants with new characteristics, which might include developing better quality products or making it more resilient to diseases. Transgenic plants are increasing finding its way into pharmaceuticals. Companies such as Controlled Pharming Ventures grow crop, which are sometimes referred to as pharma-crops, for producing proteins, which eventually end up in prescription drugs.

The potential of cross-pollination of such modified plants with those found in nature poses the biggest threat to this technology. In 2002, a corn, which was genetically modified to create a pig vaccine, spread to a nearby soybean field resulted in the government suing ProdiGene. Friends of the Earth (FOE) has urged the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ban all “open air” plantings of pharma-crops, saying a mistake by a biotech company could result in consumers “eating other people’s presecription drugs in our corn flakes.” Currently, most pharma-crops are being grown underground, I mean literally underground in old abandoned mines. This will provide a physical barrier preventing the possibility of cross-pollination and also shortens maturation time (to 70 days as compared to the 120 days it would naturally).
 
The most controversial products that never made it would undoubtedly be the Golden Rice, creation of by Ingo Potrykus of the Institute of Plant Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, working with Peter Beyer of the University of Freiburg. This product promised to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency in dominantly rice consuming third-world.

The application of this technology backfired when groups like Greenpeace working with local activists pointed out that the genetically altered rice was no better than rice that weren’t milled. (as a side note, Greenpeace opposes all GMOs). But we have probably not seen the last of it, research on Golden Rice version 3.0 is still underway.

In conclusion, GMOs are here to stay, there are countless products that contain GMO synthesized compounds, which we use knowingly or otherwise. Like any new technology, consumers will determine its market, but only time can determine its fate.

Footnote: USDA is a research leader in everything from human nutrition to new crop technologies that allow us to grow more food and fiber using less water and pesticides.

Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia & Marketplace 

 

Tags: Greenpeace, FOE, Hybrid, USDA, Agriculture, Genetic, Engineered, GMO, GMOs, Modified, Genetically Modified Organisms