“There will be no carbon tax under the government I lead,” were the words that were uttered out of the mouth of Julia Gillard, while she was campaigning for office. After getting into office her stance changed on a dime. After the election, Gillard announced to Australians that she wanted to put a tax on carbon. Can you say flip flop?

The current Prime Minister of Australia is being harshly criticized; many Australians have called her words lies. Her flip flopping has got her choking on her words.

In a recent Galaxy Poll conducted in June, at least 58% were against the tax, while only 28% were in favor. The rest were undecided.

A recent heated debate has even fueled a war of words between Gillard and the opposition.

Attitudes have changed in Australia over the last few years. Australians, just like Americans, are more worried about their jobs. Another poll from Sydney claims that support for climate change has dropped significantly — from 75% in 2007, to only 40%. And 80% of Australians say the government is doing a poor job.

A carbon tax would cost Bluescope Steel an extra $300 million a year, chief executive Paul O’Malley told the ABC’s Inside Business program (The West Australian).

“It seems to be captured by people who don’t care whether there are manufacturing jobs in Australia and you just wonder whether there is an anti-manufacturing focus in Australia and that people want jobs to go offshore. I think there is at the moment.”

In this charming YouTube video it’s clear that there’s strong support for Julian Assange, the famous whistleblower.

In a surprise appearance, Assange addressed the following to the Prime Minister:

“But what Australian citizens want to know is which country you represent. Do you represent Australians and will you fight for Australian interests? Because it’s not the first time that you or a member of your cabinet has been into a U.S. government building and exchanged information. In fact, we have intelligence that your government has been exchanging information with foreign powers, about Australian citizens working for WikiLeaks. So Prime Minister, my question to you is this: When will you come clean about precisely what information you have supplied to foreign powers, about Australian citizens working or affiliated with WikiLeaks? And if you can not give a full and frank answer to that question, should perhaps the Australian people consider charging you with treason?”

Applause…

Dr. Gary Konkol decided to build a new home after his wife was diagnosed with cancer. He made the choice of building an energy efficient house. The model was designed after a Passive house. Unfortunately, Dr. Konkol’s wife passed away a little more than a year ago. He chose to go ahead and build the house anyway.

The Konkol House is simply amazing, especially when compared to houses built using conventional methodology. Building a new house like this actually uses 21st technology, instead of using 20th technology. The 2,000 square feet house is a dream.

The house was built using three times the insulation that a normal house would have. This provides a thermal type of coverage during cold winters. A house like this doesn’t even have a furnace. On the coldest and cloudiest day of the year, electric floor mats kick on. These mats use very little energy and will keep the house at 67 degrees. That’s not bad.

But normally on a sunny day in the winter, the house reaches from 75 to 78 degrees. That is awesome and is to be appreciated.

According to the Hudson Star-Observer, his electric bill for November was a whopping $56. The house does have solar panels that gives credit back to the owner.

This Passive House In The Woods is located at Kirkwood Way North, outside of North Hudson, Wisconsin.

On September 15, 2010, Li-ion Motors (OTC BB: LMCO.OB) will launch its new all electric super car –“The Inizio”. Buyers with get their choice of two versions. The powerful Inizio will do more than 200 mph and the less powerful version will do 170 mph/241.4 km. The LiV Inizio  can be ordered now, if you’re interested.

The Inizio green car will use an advanced lithium-ion battery pack that takes eight hours to recharge. The pack is expected to get a range of 200 miles/321.8km per charge. This luxurious sports car will not come with: engine, starter, tailpipe and muffler. Therefore, no motor means – no oil change and no oil filter change.

Acceleration of the car is 0-60 in 4.0 seconds. Charge time for the battery pack is 8+ hours. The cycle life is 2500+ full charges.

Li-ion Motors was previously EV Innovations, and formerly known as  Hybrid Technologies. The company’s vehicles are used daily at the NASA Space Center in Florida. The company is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and has manufacturing facilities in Mooresville, North Carolina.

The corporate goal is just not to try and sell people on the idea of an electric vehicle, but to show them how much fun they can have in electric versions of their favorite cars. Li-ion Motors want people to start thinking of battery power as a kind of high-end option, like a convertible top or a navigation system.

When we think of vast fortunes made in the world, we tend to focus on Big Oil fortunes. Oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller revolutionalized the petroleum business. But times are changing. Don’t think so?

Green tycoons you might ask in bewilderment? Stop scratching your head. What about Zerocarbonista guy Dale Vince? Never heard of him? (Uhh, me neither…) Dale Vince is the founder of Ecotricity, claiming to be the world’s first green electricity company.

Dale Vince, a hippie gone entrepreneur, started Ecotricity in 1995, with a single wind turbine he had used to power an old army truck he called home on a hill near Stroud in Gloucestershire, England.

There are more green millionaires on Britain’s green rich list. Green tycoons such as: Andrew Owens and Alex Lewis, Lee Cottingham, Roy MacGregor, Iain Dorrity, and Barry Garrard. These are just a few names on the list. There are more. Expect this list to grow.

Renewable energy is quickly becoming big business. Wind turbine manufacturers are making huge profits. Here are the Top 10: Vestas, Enercon, Gamesa, GE Energy, Siemens, Suzlon, Nordex, Acciona, REpower, and Goldwind.

The list of onshore wind farms keeps growing. Wind power increased 39% in the year of 2009 in the United States. Wind power in China more than doubled in 2009.

The biggest wind farms currently are in the U.S.A. The Roscoe Wind Farm in Roscoe, Texas, is the world’s largest wind farm.

Electric vehicles will change markets as well. New markets, along with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, considered the largest offshore spill in United States history, will aid in the acceleration for more renewable energy. Viva the next industrial revolution.

THE FIVE WIND FACTS
1. Wind works by creating  jobs. Currently the wind industry employs 85,000 people, including 18,500 in the manufacturing sector alone. According to a recent study from Navigant Consulting, a 25% national renewable electricity standard (RES) would result in some 274,000 renewable energy jobs. And there are 14,000 manufacturing jobs ready to come online once a strong, stable policy (such as an RES) is enacted. Many of the jobs that would be created would be located in areas that boast manufacturing expertise but may have been hard hit in recent years as jobs were moved offshore.

2. Wind works for America’s rural communities. Wind farm development puts money in the pockets of America’s farmers via lease payments, allowing them to continue to farm their land while the wind turbines that they host harvest a new, inexhaustible kind of “crop.” A single wind turbine can provide $3,000-$7,000/year or more in farm income even though only 2-5% of the land within wind farm boundary is used for turbines and access roads. Wind farms also pump millions of dollars in tax revenue into rural communities.

3. Wind works for consumers. Wind is a free and renewable resource providing long-term stable energy prices for American families and protecting them when they need it the most: when fuel prices go up. A 2007 study by global energy consulting firm Wood MacKenzie on a 15% RES by 2020 found that electricity prices would decrease by 7%-11%. Wind power already protects consumers against the recent price volatility that has characterized natural gas.

4. Wind works because it is inexhaustible and reliable. Studies and reports continue to pile up confirming wind power as a reliable generation source. A study released by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) earlier this year found that there are no fundamental technical barriers to reaching 30% wind in the Eastern Interconnection, which comprises 70% of the U.S. population. Another study funded by NREL found that wind-rich Nebraska and other states in the Southwest Power Pool region can reliably obtain 40% of their electricity from wind energy. Iowa generated over 14% of its electricity from wind in 2009.

5. Wind works by protecting the environment. The use of wind power reduces mining and drilling activity for fuel, hazardous waste (e.g., coal ash), and water use. And, of course, wind power avoids emissions that contribute to smog and still impose tremendous health and environmental costs. (The National Academy of Sciences has estimated that fossil fuels cost the U.S. $120 billion a year in health costs alone, including $62 billion from coal plants.) America’s current wind power fleet of 35,000 MW will avoid an estimated 62 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to taking 10.5 million cars off the road. America’s wind turbines also conserve approximately 20 billion gallons of water annually.

IS WIND POWER A REALITY?
The question most Americans ask – is it really worth it for the average citizen? What are the drawbacks? One disadvantage is the lack of reliability of wind power. Simply put, the wind doesn’t always blow. But, maybe that’s not a problem if you have a very windy neighbor, or friend nearby!

What always concerns me is the initial cost of the operation, which most folks cannot afford, and the life of a wind turbine. Most estimates give 20 years as the average lifespan of a turbine.

Is wind power a reality or more of wishful thinking? Are small rooftop turbines going to proliferate the post-fossil era sky?

Learn more about wind energy >>  | America Wind Energy Association | Global Wind Day | European Wind Energy Association |

Shams 1, the first part out of three solar plants, will cost $600 million, and will have the capacity of 100-125 megawatts. Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems use lenses or mirrors to focus a large area of sunlight onto a small area. These systems use the sun’s rays to heat up liquid to generate steam power, much like gas or coal plants would.

The project will be developed by Abu Dhabi Future Future Energy Company (Masdar), Abengoa Solar of Spain, and Total S.A. of France. Masdar will have 60% in the project, while the other two European companies will have 20% each.

The plant would take about two years to complete. It will be located 75 miles (120km) southwest of Abu Dhabi,  in Madinat Zayed. Work is supposed to begin around the 3rd quarter in 2010. Costs to build the plant will be 20% lower, because of the drop in price of the materials to build it.

Shams 1 solar power station will be a concentrated solar power plant. Shams 2 and Shams 3  stations will follow. Will the UAE outdo Europe and the United States with the production of renewable energy? More >>

Could Henry Ford have ever dreamed that the overall cost to design and build a car would catch up with society eventually? Well, this wonderful article clearly shows that Henry just might have been a century ahead of his time. It’s quite ashame that our so called engineers of today are not as inventive and innovative as the great Henry Ford. Maybe it’s time to implement more radical ideas into mainstream production. Who votes that our current model isn’t working? Wipe the oil from your face and investigate yourself…

Henry Ford’s Plastic Hemp Car  – Black and white footage from 1941

Amongst the thousands of products made from hemp, one of the most extraordinary is Henry Ford’s Plastic Car. Built in 1941, it contained cellulose fibers derived from hemp, sisal, and wheat straw.

The plastic was lighter than steel, yet could withstand ten times the impact without denting.

Hemp: Pinch Hitters For Defense
Over in England it’s saccharine for sugar; on the continent it’s charcoal “gasogenes” in the rumble seat instead of gasoline in the tank. Here in America there’s plenty of sugar, plenty of gasoline. Yet there’s an industrial revolution in progress just the same, a revolution in materials that will affect every home. After twelve years of research, the Ford Motor Company has completed an experimental automobile with a plastic body. Although its design takes advantage of the properties of plastics, the streamline car does not differ greatly in appearance from its steel counterpart. The only steel in the hand-made body is found in the tubular welded frame on which are mounted 14 plastic panels, 3/16 inch thick. Composed of a mixture of farm crops and synthetic chemicals, the plastic is reported to withstand a blow 10 times as great as steel without denting. Even the windows and windshield are of plastic. The total weight of the plastic car is about 2,000 pounds, compared with 3,000 pounds for a steel automobile of the same size. Although no hint has been given as to when plastic cars may go into production, the experimental model is pictured as a step toward materialization of Henry Ford’s belief that some day he would “grow automobiles from the soil.” When Henry Ford recently unveiled his plastic car, result of 12 years of research, he gave the world a glimpse of the automobile of tomorrow, its tough panels molded under hydraulic pressure of 1,500 pounds per square inch from a recipe that calls for 70 percent of cellulose fibers from wheat straw, hemp and sisal plus 30 percent resin binder. The only steel in the car is its tubular welded frame. The plastic car weighs a ton, 1,000 pounds lighter than a comparable steel car. Manufacturers are already taking a low-priced plastic car to test the public’s taste by 1943.
- Popular Mechanics (December, 1941)

Glass recycling and glass reuse should be more incorporated into our daily lives. There are no excuses why we shoudn’t be reusing glass containers. State laws should encourage the reuse and recycling of glass.

It is estimated that 41 billion glass containers are made every year, and 27 billion glass containers are thrown away. This ratio of waste just doesn’t make sense, when most glass is 100% recyclable.

Recycled Glass Reduces Pollution And Waste
“Recycling glass reduces air pollution by 20%, and water pollution by 50%, compared with trashing it. Every time you recycle a glass bottle that would have been trashed, you save enough energy to light a 100 watt bulb for four hours.”

When we recycle glass there are three types:
1. Colorless – food, beverage, beer, liquor and wine bottles
2. Green – wine and beer bottles
3. Brown/Amber – beer and liquor bottles

Reusing glass is even better:
1. Saves money in purchases and disposal costs
2. Results in less hazardous waste
3. Reduces the strain on valuable resources
4. Generates new business and employment opportunities for both small entrepreneurs and large enterprises
Source: www.reuseglassbottles.com

Reusing glass containers even makes more common sense. Why not reuse glass containers? The thickness and the bulky nature of glass make it more difficult to transport it. Reusable glass containers should be mandatory, whenever practical.

But recycling glass is better than nothing. Glass is made of sand, lime, and soda. Crushed glass is called cullet. Fiberglass products are made from glass cullet.

Glass ReUse In the United States
More could be done to reuse glass in the United States. Europe, Canada, and other parts of the world use standard reusable containers, especially for carbonated beverages.

But, it makes no sense that Americans use glass jars for spaghetti sauce, apple sauce, jelly, and other products, and then wind up in a landfill. Carbonated beverages such as beer containers wind up in landfills.  Why not clean and reuse them? We clean and reuse our drinking glasses and plates.

Changing Consumer Behavior Patterns
Our consumer behavior patterns and our mindset needs to be changed to eliminate glass waste. Manufacturers need to be told that marketing of products need not be so wasteful. The buck stops with the consumer.

The bottom line is this – we can reuse a boring, generic glass bottle over and over. Or we can keep on doing what we’re doing. Use that jar and toss it on a heap of other bottles. But, this is highly wasteful, and absolutely unnecessary. Let’s do the right thing.

Get into the Green Zone and save some green at the same time with this easy DIY solar project! The Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit gives you everything you need to run your laptop most of the day with free energy, and even more!

Another fantastic reason to obtain a solar powered kit is because of those unexpected power failures. You know, the kind where you are on the computer in the middle of a very important project, and everything goes black.

This is very annoying and potentially could destroy the computer. Having the computer connected to a green grid certainly gets rid of this problem and makes good common sense. If we lose the computer to a power blackout, then we have waited too late to do something about it.

If you’re still in the learning curve when it comes to solar power, this is an inexpensive way to expand your knowledge and save a few bucks at the same time. You also get to rub it in to the neighbors, as you cleverly explain to them how your cell phone is charging off grid at no cost to you.

A complete solar station consists of six components: Solar panel mounting, wiring, a voltage meter, a solar-charged controller, and a battery.

Solar panels need to be adjusted for optimization to face the sun. Panels can be mounted on any flat surface, on a home, an RV, on a cabin, or even on a boat.

The Sunforce 50044 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit comes with a wiring kit and accessories for easy installation. You also get four 15-Watt solar panels with frames, a 200-Watt Power Inverter, and a 7-Amp solar charge controller.

And for you campers out there, leave that old noisy generator back at the ranch! There’s no need to drag that thing along on your trip if you have the solar powered kit.

You’ll be a happy camper when your camping buddies next door run out of juice and your batteries are still going!

Where are the most suitable locations in America to install a wind generator? Which states generate the most wind? Is it worthwhile to install a wind generator on my land? These are questions that many consumers are asking themselves.

If you are planning to install your own wind turbine or wind farm, you must know if the amount of wind in your location is adequate. View a collection of state wind maps located in the U.S. (U.S. Dept of Energy)

Are we utilizing the wind in America anywhere near the potential? How does the U.S. fare compared to other countries?

The United States is starting to gain ground in wind power, but the potential is far greater than what America is investing. This could be better.

And what state is wind power king? That state would be Texas, according to a report prepared by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Iowa is second, and California is third.

For the past two years, Texas has been the top wind producer in the United States, with over 3,953 wind-generated megawatts (MW) installed. (SECO)

For more information about small wind turbines go to AWEA’s page called Small Wind.