The Secret Cities of Yemen
I know this doesn’t have much to do with nature, or saving the environment, or anything else we often post about here on The Word for World of Forest, but after coming across this article about the architecture of Yemen I just had to share. To call these cities breathtaking would be an understatement. Having traveled (and lived) in some of the major cities of the United States, I feel confident in saying that none are as awe-inspiring as these cities in Yemen. Someday I hope to see them for myself… in the meantime, enjoy this link… (trifter is a great site, by the way.)
10 Easy Ways to Save Water
Conserving water is more important than most people think… check out these helpful tips… though peeing in the shower? ew.
http://greenlifestylemagazine.net/issue-3/10-easy-ways-to-save-water.php
Haiti continues to suffer
After shocks continue to plague Haiti. The death toll continues to rise and is around 100,000 people now. The question is who is running the country since much of the senate died in the quake? Truly the most surprising fact is that scientists warned the country of the quake. Schools were cancelled, but no one in the country side was warned.
Everyone is asking, why didn’t the whole country prepare considering the severity of the quake?
New reasons to always wear underwear!
Those new machines at the airport seem harmless, but they do not tell you that someone is looking at you in your underwear! Talk about embarassing. Not only can the machines see beneath your clothes, but they can also store the images.
Privacy left the building a long time ago.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/01/11/body.scanners/index.html
Killing the farmers of the world
So it has been a bit since I have made any updates. Oops.
I just read this article on CNN. It talks about how farmers in India have been committing suicide for the past 13 years, and will continue to do so with the current situation. They are operating farms that cost more to run than they make, never allowing them to get out of debt. Sound familiar?!?! That is just like the meat industry in the US (Food,Inc.). Companies force expensive upgrades that never allow farmers to get out of debt.
Well, these farmers are hitting their limits and are committing suicide it is that bad. You have to admit it is insane that the very people who make it possible for all of us to eat are getting paid nothing, committing suicide, and living very meager lives. We would all die if everyone decided to stop farming and chemical companies had their way of controlling all seed supplies and GMOing everything we eat.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/05/india.farmer.suicides/index.html
The Top 20 Things We Throw Away (That We Shouldn’t)
Here’s a great list and some great tips. A few I already do, a few others I need to work on!
http://www.ecosalon.com/top-20-things-we-throw-away-that-we-shouldnt/
Thing Twice Before Eating That Hamburger
E. Coli is more of a threat than you realize. This article is more disturbing than expected…
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1
5 Food Tips For A Healthier Planet And Body
Some great tips for healthy eating… good for you, good for the planet, good for everybody.
1. Eat Close To Home
2. Try Tofu Tuesdays
3. Get It Fair and Square
4. Pass on Packaging (especially plastic)
5. Fork Out for the Right Organics
Find out more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/healthy-food-environment-460909
Electric Vehicles funded by the Government
Seems as though the government is backing the major companies on the electric vehicle trend, but leaving the start-up companies behind. There is little venture capital money these days, so it really puts them at a disadvantage. However, the government made sure they did not leave Tesla out because apparently roadsters are a must have…yeah my thought exactly.
Electric Delivery Truck…check it out
Electric Vehicles for Sale!
September 4, 2009 at 5:19PM by Jim Motavalli |
carThe Bright Idea: government funding needed for a fast start. (Bright Automotive)
The Harvard Business School wants you to pay $6.95 for a case study entitled “The Electric Car: The Major Players.”
The report looks at an industry that was poised for greatness last year: “In 2008, the electric car industry was poised to take a giant leap forward, with start-up companies a step ahead of large automakers,” it said. “Venture Capital firms were investing hundreds of millions of dollars in promising electric car and Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) start-ups, while existing companies were pouring billions of dollars into electric car and PHEV research…. At the same time, battery makers were racing to build enough lithium-ion batteries for automobiles to meet the expected demand…. Electricity companies were taking an interest in the industry, and began partnering with automakers to test how extensively electric cars used the grid.”
You can either pay your seven bucks or just read the business news. The industry is moving forward with stunning speed. The only part of it that really isn’t happening is the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital. Although no one disagrees that EVs are the future, there simply aren’t a lot of loose dollars around. The same malaise has affected green energy startups (wind, solar and geothermal) also, and their coming dominance is unquestioned also.
In effect, the federal government has become the funder of last resort. And that’s why there was such angst when the Department of Energy, in its multi-billion vehicle and battery manufacturing loan and grant funds, largely passed up startups. Last month, the DOE awarded $2.4 billion in grants, but the announcement was hardly dry before I started fielding complaints from startups that had been left out. The first phase of the loan program recognized Ford, Nissan and-the only startup-Tesla, maker of the ultra-fast $109,000 battery Roadster.
Indiana’s Bright Automotive is a startup, spun off from the Rocky Mountain Institute, which makes a plug-in hybrid delivery van and wants to open a factory in 2012-and be producing 50,000 vans for major corporate customers by 2013.
Bright’s co-founder, Vice President of Corporate Strategy Michael Brylawski, said in an interview, “It’s very hard right now for capital-intensive businesses to raise the funds they need. That’s why even the big players like Nissan and Ford are going after the DOE money. It’s the backstop lender right now.”
Brylawski predicts that venture capital will return, but not for several years. Both Bright and Fisker (which also produces plug-in hybrids, albeit very high-performance ones) say they will still make their vehicles without DOE money. But Fisker would have to delay its next-generation, lower-cost plug-in hybrid, and Bright’s Brylawski said the Idea will “take a lot longer” without government funding. “Right now, this is the most promising path,” he said.
Henrik Fisker says it can achieve high production volumes quickly, but government help is a big part of the equation, even for companies that make sexy supercars. “Yes, Obama’s goal is achievable and Fisker Automotive will do its part to help fulfill that goal,” Fisker said. “We expect the Karma to reach production of 15,000 cars per year in 2011, and our future high-volume, low-cost vehicle will push that number well over 100,000 per year.”
This is a clean car revolution that is primed and ready to go, but only the DOE can light the fuse.
Photo Credit: Bright Automotive
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tags: electric vehicles, detroit, plug-in hybrids, batteries, venture capital, energy policy, federal grants
Being Green — too trendy for it’s own good?
Came across a good article on The Consumerist this morning discussing the fact that many companies are exploiting our green lifestyles. They offer some helpful links to finding the truth about the products being marketed to us so we can skip the crap and buy the truely ec0-friendly products out there…
http://consumerist.com/5346634/how-can-i-tell-when-a-product-is-being-greenwashed
