Dig down six feet into the earth and you’ll find that the temperature at any latitude in the US is stable within a range of 45-75 degrees Fahrenheit. That relatively constant temperature is the basis for geothermal, or ground source, heat pump systems, which can provide homeowners with a simple, reliable, quiet and low-polluting means …
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Hydroponics Basics – A Guide to Your First Hydroponics System
Hydroponic gardening is so much easier than you think! My goal in this guide is to make the process of hydroponics as easy as possible. Too many people are scared to go out and try it for themselves. They’re intimidated or don’t know how much it will cost, possibly. I fully recognize this isn’t an …
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Lightbulb Comparison Chart – LED, CFL, CCFL, and ESL
In this article we explain the four most common types of lightbulbs that are replacing the standard incandescent bulbs. If you’re like most consumers, you experience at least a little frustration and confusion when it comes to the new kinds of lightbulbs available. With all the new acronyms and laws, it’s hard to know what …
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A Closer Look at the Drawbacks of Compact Fluorescent Lighting vs. LEDs
Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) has gained widespread acceptance around the world for its low cost and “supposed” environmental friendliness, but it’s not quite the sustainable alternative to incandescent lighting that the marketing messages would have us believe. According to Andrew Brunning, former Junior Partner and National Account Manager at National LED Direct, CFLs are inefficient …
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Local Foods Rebuild Health and Economies
“Buy Fresh, Buy Local.” FoodRoutes, an advocacy group rebuilding local, community-based food systems, punctuates the “locavore” movement with a slogan resonating with U.S. farmers, restaurants and eaters. Once a backbone of the U.S. economy, farming is enjoying a renaissance, seeded by industry veterans and practical entrepreneurs localizing the supply chain and creating harmony between grower …
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Green Investing Interview: US vs. Europe, Market Dynamics, Top Picks
Thomas George, Portfolio Manager of the TD Global Sustainability Fund and Vice-President, TD Asset Management, discusses green investing with Cleantech Authority. How would you define green investing? A fair definition would be any business model that improves the environment in some way. Given the focus of your fund, why do you think there is a …
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Pros and Cons of Green Energy Leasing Programs: Solar and Wind Options
If you can’t put up a wind turbine without pissing off the neighbors or you don’t feel like digging yourself a debt-grave buying a brand new solar PV system, alternatives do exist to power your home with green energy. Solar power leasing and using a green energy provider are two viable options. But before jumping …
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The Microbial Home of the Future: Connecting Bathrooms with Kitchens
Powering your stove with “poo” might sound like a hardcore thing that only permaculturists living off-the-grid would do, but if the Philips company is right with their forecast, that idea may just go mainstream. As part of their Design Probes program, a research initiative aimed at exploring lifestyles of the future, Philips designed the Microbial …
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America’s Top 10 Eco-Friendliest Dorms and Tips for Greening Yours
From coast to coast, universities around the country are doing everything they can to lessen the carbon footprint of their campus. A large part of that is the construction of green dormitories, which are breaking new ground in innovation even before their construction. Below are ten of America’s greenest dorms on college campuses. Western Oregon …
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Five Hot Products Keeping the Planet Cool for the Holidays
While it feels like the holiday season arrives earlier each year, it’s never too early to start thinking of presents for family and friends — or even yourself. This year’s market offers a bevy of alternative energy products, including solar shingles, new electric vehicles and solar gadgets. For some products, hopefully money isn’t an object; …
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Sustainably Powered Backup Generators: Overview and Pricing
Up until I became an adult, power outages really didn’t seem like a problem. At worst, it meant the TV went blank for a while, at best I’d get to skip my homework for a while due to the computer being offline. And usually, the power came back within an hour or two. Now that …
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Getting Started with Urban Gardening
Urban Gardening is great for the environment and your health, it’s also a soothing hobby. Once everything’s setup you’ll be saving on groceries and enjoying improved health. What follows is a basic guide to help you jump in! Step 1. Preparing Your Garden If you have a pre-existing gardening area we suggest you approach it …
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Google.org Pegs US Geothermal Capacity at Three Million Megawatts
A Google.org-funded study by Southern Methodist University pegs America’s geothermal potential at three million MW. The research team used more than 35,000 data sites to create what Google says on its website are the most data rich maps of geothermal energy in the U.S. The company put the findings on its Google Earth map for …
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22 Terrific Reasons to Plant a Tree
Approximately 75% of Americans live in cities or towns. The growing trend towards urbanization has reduced the tree canopy over large parts of the country. Thanks to an increased awareness and better knowledge, many municipalities across the country are reassessing their relationship to one of their greatest assets–trees. Urban forestry departments are focusing their tree …
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How to Raise Urban Chickens
For those of you who are just starting out, urban chickens are pretty much what you would expect. They are chickens raised in an urban environment. It’s a great way to reduce your carbon footprint by raising food locally in your own backyard. How does that help? Well, you get fresh, non-imported eggs pretty much …
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Healthy Smoothies and Vegan Treats for Austin City Limits
Each year around mid September Austin City Limits (ACL) sweeps through Austin, Texas bringing with it bands like Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Kanye West, Empire of the Sun, Cut Copy, Pretty Lights and dozens more. It attracts tens of thousands of music fans from all over the world and creates an amazing opportunity to meet new …
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Five Ways To Lessen Your Environmental Impact When Skiing and Snowboarding
Skiers and snowboarders stand to lose a lot more than the average person if the greenhouse effect starts roasting our lands… A warmer climate means less and less snow, which means less and less skiing. Warm it up enough, and eventually you’re left with no winters, no snow and no skiing or riding. Suddenly that …
As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg reaches for his green pen, opponents of his bike-share program make a short line outside his office protesting the soon-to-be-awarded vendor contract for placing card-operated kiosks throughout the city. Gotham pundits peg the contract signing as a prophetic victory in Bloomberg’s fight for an eco-friendly New York. But …
The world is an interesting and dynamic place. One the one hand there are plant and animal species that have taken hundreds if not thousands of years to evolve and adapt to a specific landscape and climate like those found only in the Galapagos Islands and on the other we have animals like cockroaches, ticks …
Though the majority of high profile energy-efficiency projects are targeted towards overcoming dirty energy dependency, in the interim several lower profile technologies are addressing these same challenges. GPS route optimization is one such technology. Public transportation vehicles, including municipal bus fleets, use a significant amount of energy every year. Fortunately, we’ve seen a somewhat steady …
