National Zoo opens solar-powered carousel in DC

National Zoo opens solar-powered carousel in DC By BRETT ZONGKER | Associated Press – Tue, Nov 27, 2012 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Smithsonian's National Zoo is opening a new solar-powered carousel with hand-carved, hand-painted figures representing many endangered animals. The Speedwell Foundation, a private family foundation based in Summit, N.J., donated $1.5 million of the $2.3 million cost to build the carousel. A zoo spokeswoman says donations covered the remainder. The ride was named the Speedwell Foundation Conservation Carousel. It opened Monday and costs $3 per person to ride. Proceeds from ticket sales will support animal care and conservation research at the zoo. The carousel is powered by 162 solar panels donated and installed by Pepco Energy Services. The zoo says any excess energy is redirected to the zoo's electrical grid. There are 58 animals represented on the carousel. They include elephants, pandas, frogs, hummingbirds, blue crabs, lions and other critters.

Green Festival in Washington DC and Other Cities

Summer time and the living is busy! Get ready, because Green Festival is headed to Washington DC, San Francisco and Los Angeles this fall. We're kicking off our fall festival season September 29-30, returning to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Along with classic program favorites – Green Business, Fair Trade, Community Action and more – Green Festival introduces brand new, hands-on stages, including: DIY, Good Food, Live Art Demonstration and Eco-Fashion Showcase. Learn by doing at the DIY Stage as you gain practical skills to increase your self-sufficiency while saving your money. Discover fabulous recipes for a healthy, happy family at the Good Food Stage. Be entertained by live demonstrations detailing the origins of eco-fashion and fantastic local art installations at the Eco-Fashion Showcase and Live Art Demonstration Stage. Then, it's off to the west coast! Green Festival continues November 10-11 at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center and November 17-18 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

89-Year-Old Man Develops Bladeless Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine!

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: solaraero, sustainable design, green design, wind turbine, wind power, renewable energy, clean tech, bladeless wind turbine Ultra-Efficient Bladeless Wind Turbine Inspired by Nikolai Tesla X Energy Beth Buczynski 89-Year-Old Man Develops Bladeless Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine! by Beth Buczynski, 08/31/12 filed under: clean tech, News, Renewable Energy, Wind Power Share on Tumblr Email Catching Wind Power Farm, wind turbine, bladeless wind turbine, birds, conservation, design, renewable energy Wind turbines transform moving air currents into clean energy; there isn’t much to hate about that, especially when compared to the toxic emissions and high cost of fossil fuels. But wildlife conservation organizations have often expressed concerns that wind farms pose a threat to flying species bird and bat species. Eighty-nine-year-old military veteran Raymond Green decided that there’s no reason why clean energy and birds can’t coexist, so he designed the Catching Wind Power device, a bladeless wind turbine that promises to harness wind energy without harming our feathered friends. Ads by Google DC Residential Wind Power Electricity For Homes in DC. Low Fixed Rates. Learn More! www. CleanCurrents. com Catching Wind Power Farm, wind turbine, bladeless wind turbine, birds, conservation, design, renewable energy Green’s CWP Compressed Air Enclosed Wind Turbine completely eliminates the three massive blades seen on most wind turbines. Rather than waiting for the wind to turn a blade, Green’s device features a patented Inner Compression Cone Technology, which he claims will squeeze and compress the incoming air in order to create more power at the turbine. “Our design does not have any external moving parts to hit the birds,” writes Green on his website. “Our unit is easy to see so the birds can avoid it, and all moving parts are internal. The blades are mounted behind the windsock and inner compression cone, therefore making them nonaccessible to birds. Also, our turbines make virtually no noise.” According to Green, his design can be scaled up for commercial power production, or down for residential use. The CWP will soon be tested, improved upon, and manufactured by Sigma Design, so final judgement will have to be reserved for the birds themselves. +Catching Wind Power via Treehugger 1 print print email thisemail [Pin It] Related Posts Read more: 89-Year-Old Man Develops Bladeless Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine! | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building Green’s CWP Compressed Air Enclosed Wind Turbine completely eliminates the three massive blades seen on most wind turbines. Rather than waiting for the wind to turn a blade, Green’s device features a patented Inner Compression Cone Technology, which he claims will squeeze and compress the incoming air in order to create more power at the turbine. “Our design does not have any external moving parts to hit the birds,” writes Green on his website. “Our unit is easy to see so the birds can avoid it, and all moving parts are internal. The blades are mounted behind the windsock and inner compression cone, therefore making them nonaccessible to birds. Also, our turbines make virtually no noise.” According to Green, his design can be scaled up for commercial power production, or down for residential use. The CWP will soon be tested, improved upon, and manufactured by Sigma Design, so final judgement will have to be reserved for the birds themselves. Read more: 89-Year-Old Man Develops Bladeless Bird-Friendly Wind Turbine! | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

United Kingdom's Lloyds Banking Group Invests 1.57 Billion in Alternative Energy

Hydrogen Fuel News The United Kingdom's Lloyds Banking Group, one of the world's most influential financial institutions, has taken a keen interest in alternative energy. The organization is poised to make a large investment in several alternative energy projects. These ... Read more at: http://www.hydrogenfuelnews.com/alternative-energy-gains-a-powerful-ally-in-the-uk/855061/ To top of blog: www.usaalternativeenergyenergy.blogspot.com

Obama Administration Releases Roadmap for Solar Energy Development on Public Lands

Obama Administration Releases Roadmap for Solar Energy Development on Public Lands -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07/24/2012 Contact: Blake Androff (DOI) 202-208-6416 Energy Department Public Affairs: 202-586-4940 David Quick (BLM) 202-912-7413 WASHINGTON, D.C. - As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, the Department of the Interior, in partnership with the Department of Energy, will publish the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for solar energy development in six southwestern states—Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. The final Solar PEIS represents a major step forward in the permitting of utility-scale solar energy on public lands throughout the west. Today’s announcement builds on the historic progress made in fostering renewable energy development on public lands. When President Obama took office, there were no solar projects permitted on public lands; since 2009, Interior has approved 17 utility-scale solar energy projects that, when built, will produce nearly 5,900 megawatts of energy—enough to power approximately 1.8 million American homes. Thanks to steps already taken by this administration, renewable energy from sources like wind and solar have doubled since the President took office. The Solar PEIS will serve as a roadmap for solar energy development by establishing solar energy zones with access to existing or planned transmission, the fewest resource conflicts and incentives for development within those zones. The blueprint’s comprehensive analysis will make for faster, better permitting of large-scale solar projects on public lands. “This blueprint for landscape-level planning is about facilitating faster, smarter utility-scale solar development on America’s public lands,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “This is a key milestone in building a sustainable foundation for utility-scale solar energy development and conservation on public lands over the next two decades.” “Developing America’s solar energy resources is an important part of President Obama’s commitment to expanding American-made energy, increasing energy security, and creating jobs,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This new roadmap builds on that commitment by identifying public lands that are best suited for solar energy projects, improving the permitting process, and creating incentives to deliver more renewable energy to American homes and businesses.” The Solar PEIS planning effort has focused on identifying locations on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands that are most suitable for solar energy development. These areas are characterized by excellent solar resources, good energy transmission potential, and relatively low conflict with biological, cultural and historic resources. The Final PEIS identifies 17 Solar Energy Zones (SEZs), totaling about 285,000 acres of public lands, as priority areas for utility-scale solar development, with the potential for additional zones through ongoing and future regional planning processes. The blueprint also allows for utility-scale solar development on approximately 19 million acres in “variance” areas lying outside of identified SEZs. In total, the Final PEIS estimates a total development of 23,700 megawatts from the 17 zones and the variance areas, enough renewable energy to power 7 million American homes. “Input from stakeholders has been extremely valuable throughout this process,” said Acting BLM Director Mike Pool. “Their comments have helped to refine the zones to make sure they’re ‘smart from the start’, to improve the transmission analyses and to build effective incentives into this blueprint for solar development." Key elements of the Final Solar PEIS: Establishes an initial set of 17 Solar Energy Zones on 285,000 acres across 6 Western States; Outlines a process for industry, the public and other interested stakeholders to propose new or expanded zones; efforts already underway include California’s Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan and the West Chocolate Mountains Renewable Energy Evaluation, Arizona’s Restoration Energy Design Project, and other local planning efforts in Nevada and Colorado; Includes strong incentives for development within zones, including faster and easier permitting, improved mitigation strategies, and economic incentives; Sets a clear process that allows for development of well-sited projects on approximately19 million acres outside the zones; Protects natural and cultural resources by excluding 78 million acres from solar energy development; Identifies design features (best practices) for solar energy development to ensure the most environmentally responsible development and delivery of solar energy; and Establishes a framework for regional mitigation plans and a strategy for monitoring and adaptive management; the first mitigation pilot for the Dry Lake Solar Energy Zone is already underway. In support of more detailed system-level analyses of transmission needs, the BLM is engaged in ongoing transmission planning efforts, including through the Transmission Expansion Planning Policy Committee and the Western Electricity Coordination Council’s transmission study. The July 27 Federal Register Notice of Availability for the Final PEIS will begin a 30-day protest period, after which Secretary Salazar may consider adopting the document through a Record of Decision. The BLM released the Draft Solar PEIS in December 2010, and in response to the over 80,000 comments received from cooperating agencies and key stakeholders, issued a Supplement to the Draft Solar PEIS in October 2011. Click here to access the Final Solar PEIS. Click here for a list of the 17 Solar Energy Zones. Click here for a map of the six-states (individual state maps available upon request). Click here for the Executive Summary of the Solar PEIS. ###

New Study Predicts Rise in Hybrid Sales

New Study Predicts Rise in Hybrid Sales Report says better battery technology and global oil consumption will drive growth of almost 20 percent. A new report by analysts at TechNavio paints a “green” picture of the global growth for hybrid vehicles over the next few years, predicting a sales increase of almost 20 percent through 2015. In the Global Hybrid Car Market report, analysts point to increasing worldwide oil consumption and initiatives by governments “to create awareness and acceptance of hybrid cars” as driving the sales growth of hybrids, as well as car buyers' awareness that the vehicles create less pollution and reduce dependence on natural resources. Taking into consideration the leading automakers in the industry -- Toyota, Honda, Ford, Nissan, General Motors and BMW -- the report says that the development of more efficient battery systems and their lower cost will reduce the price of these fuel-efficient alternatives to traditional gasoline vehicles. The report also predicts that the total cost of ownership for hybrid vehicles will be less than for gas-only vehicles by 2020, thanks to improved battery technology. But the report also notes that the current high cost of hybrid vehicles “is acting as a barrier to the market growth.” While high gas prices and government incentives have helped to drive sales of some hybrids, the vehicles still usually come with a premium price tag. Plus, more automakers are now focusing on building high-mileage gasoline-powered vehicles -- even U.S. automakers that traditionally have ceded the segment to imports and focused instead on trucks and other large passenger vehicles -- which makes the break-even point for purchasing a hybrid even longer, in some cases. Given that hybrid technology has matured, is a hybrid vehicle in your future -- or even on the list of your considerations? Read more at: http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost-ros.aspx?post=9bb76cee-64aa-4b73-9518-28ae302ef748&icid=autos_3227 To top of blog:

SWISS SOLAR POWERED PLANE ATTEMPTS INTERCONTINENTAL FLIGHT

SWISS SOLAR POWERED PLANE ATTEMPTS INTERCONTINENTAL FLIGHT - TAKES OFF 12,000 Solar Cells Power Plane's Four Engines Watch this video at the link below. http://news.yahoo.com/video/environment-15749659/sun-powered-plane-attempts-intercontinental-flight-29449568.html To top of blog: href="http://www.usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com/">To top of blog usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com

Honda electric car gets 118 mpg, but costs add up

It would take driver 11 years to make up price difference, begin saving on fuel Associated Press 6:15 a.m. CDT, June 7, 2012 At 118 miles per gallon, the Honda Fit electric vehicle is the most fuel-efficient in the United States. But getting that mileage isn't cheap -- and it isn't always good for the environment. Honda announced the eye-popping figure Wednesday, making the small, four-door hatchback more efficient than electric rivals like the Ford Focus, Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi i-MiEV. It goes on the market this summer in Oregon and California. The electric Fit has an estimated price tag nearly twice as high as the gasoline-powered version. It would take 11 years before a driver makes up the difference and begins saving on fuel. With gas prices falling, the high sticker price for electric vehicles is becoming more of a barrier for American buyers, even though the vehicles are far more efficient than their gas-powered counterparts. That's hurting sales of electrics. Through May, carmakers sold just over 10,000 electric vehicles, less than 0.2 percent of U.S. car and truck sales. That's because the numbers don't add up for the average consumer. — The electric Fit needs 28.6 kilowatt hours of electricity to go 100 miles. At the national average price of 11.6 cents per kilowatt hour, that costs $3.30. A gas-powered automatic-transmission Fit, which gets 31 miles per gallon, needs to burn 3.2 gallons to travel 100 miles. At the national average price of $3.57 per gallon of gasoline, that's $11.52. — People drive an average of almost 13,500 miles a year, so a typical driver would spend $445 on electricity for an electric Fit over a year, and $1,552 on gasoline for a regular Fit. — Honda has valued the price of an electric Fit at $29,125 after a $7,500 federal tax credit. That's $12,210 more than the gas-powered Fit — a savings of $1,107 per year to make up the difference between the electric and the gas-powered version. Customers don't want to spend the extra money up front and wait for years for payback, said Geoff Pohanka, who runs 13 auto dealerships in Virginia and Maryland, including three that sell the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt electric cars. "People are smart. They're looking for the deal," he said. "Is somebody going to fork out $15,000 more for something that gets them less range than their car now? It's not happening." At first, Honda will only be leasing Fit EVs in Oregon and California, for $389 per month. The subcompact seats up to five people and can be recharged in three hours with a 240-volt charging station. A fully charged Fit EV can go 82 miles, meaning a daily commute could cost nothing for gasoline. And leases can make sense for consumers. Carmakers can lower rates and subsidize deals in order to make a car — especially one with new, expensive technology — more attractive to buyers. Jesse Toprak, vice president of market intelligence for the car buying site TrueCar.com, said he tested an electric Chevrolet Volt, driving it less than 35 miles a day from his Los Angeles-area home to work and back. The cost of leasing it — $369 a month — is comparable to the $300 he would spend on gas. "In a lot of these cases, I'm surprised that people are not lining up to get these things," he said. The comparison between gas and electric cars also can vary with geography, largely because energy prices vary wildly across the country. In Oregon, where gasoline is 18 percent more expensive than the national average and electricity is 16 percent lower, an electric Fit will save $121 per month in fuel. In Connecticut, which has the highest power prices in the country, the monthly savings are just $83. The fuel used to generate electric power and the cost of gasoline also vary by region —and that affects how environmentally friendly an electric car purchase is. Read more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-honda-electric-car-gets-118-mpg-but-costs-add-up-20120607,0,135963.story To top of USA Alternative Energy Now blog:

31 Percent Anti-Dumping Tariffs Announced for Chinese Solar Panels

I just heard about this, please read and go to their website to read more about this. By Steve Leone, Associate Editor, RenewableEnergyWorld.com May 17, 2012 | 25 Comments New Hampshire, U.S.A. -- The U.S. Department of Commerce on Thursday announced stiff anti-dumping tariffs of around 31 percent on crystalline silicon solar panels imported from China, leading to a new round of concerns on how the duties will impact the growing American solar industry. In its preliminary determination, the DOC set duties at 31.14 percent for Trina, 31.22 percent for Suntech and 31.18 percent for other Chinese solar manufacturers that chose to participate in the investigation. The companies that chose not to participate were hit with a 250 percent tariff. The tariffs will be retroactive and be applied to panels that were shipped from as far back as about the middle of February 2012. A final determination must still be made, and the tariff rates can still be adjusted upward or downward. But the ruling gave an anxious industry a better sense of the implications of the trade case. And the numbers that came out were much higher than many expected. Thursday's announcement was for anti-dumping tariffs and it was the second of two duties set by the DOC that directly stemmed from a trade complaint filed by SolarWorld’s American subsidiary. DOC officials will now confirm the information provided by the Chinese government and the Chinese manufacturers that chose to participate. Final determinations are expected to be made for both tariffs in late July, though an annoucement may not come until September. In March, the Department of Commerce announced a preliminary determination that set relatively modest countervailing duties that essentially measure the level of subsidies and benefits coming from the Chinese government to Chinese crystalline silicon panel manufacturers. The countervailing duties were applied on three levels: 4.73 percent applied to Trina, 2.9 percent to Suntech, and 3.59 percent to all others. That had been a welcome relief for many in the solar industry, especially the installers who have come to base their business models around low-cost panels. But the feeling was short-lived with the announcement of the countervailing tariffs, which will be added to the anti-dumping tariffs announced on Thursday. The two together are certain to make Chinese solar panels much more expensive. The ruling could add about $0.30 a watt to the price of a panel. Chinese companies are expected to set up workarounds like tolling in which they send panels through another country, or even set up remote manufacturing facilities outside their country. Tolling is expected to add about $0.06 to $0.08 per watt. The Background In a trade complaint filed in October, SolarWorld's American subsidiary and six other solar panel manufacturers claimed that Chinese companies are receiving an unfair level of subsidies from the Chinese government and that they are then dumping their products at below the cost of production into the American market. This, they contend, is stifling solar panel manufacturing in the United States. The case made by the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) has been folded into the growing political narrative that America must reclaim its ability to lead in the global arena of manufacturing and innovation. On the other side, the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) says that the overriding goal is to make solar energy as competitive as possible. Low-cost Chinese panels have figured prominently in this race to make solar energy competitive with fossil fuels. Panel prices have dropped by 50 percent in just the past year, and that growth has spurred an installation boom that many in the industry feel is unsustainable if prices spike. Industry Reaction Jigar Shah, President of CASE: “Today SolarWorld received one of its biggest subsidies yet – an average 31% tax on its competitors. What’s worse, it will ultimately come right out of the paychecks of American solar workers. Fortunately, these duties are much lower than the 250% tax that SolarWorld originally requested. This decision will increase solar electricity prices in the U.S. precisely at the moment solar power is becoming competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity. At the same time, CASE recognizes that today’s decision is ‘preliminary.’ Between now and a final decision before the end of the year, there are many issues that will be addressed and whose resolution would lead to a significantly lower tariff. CASE will continue to fight SolarWorld’s anti-consumer and anti-jobs efforts to ensure a better result for America’s solar industry.” Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association: "The solar industry calls upon the U.S. and Chinese governments to immediately work together towards a mutually-satisfactory resolution of the growing trade conflict within the solar industry. While trade remedy proceedings are basic principles of the rules-based global trading system, so too are collaboration and negotiations. Importantly, disputes within one segment of the industry affect the entire solar supply chain — and these broad implications must be recognized. In addition, the U.S. solar manufacturing base goes well beyond solar cell and module production and includes billions of dollars of recent investments into the production of polysilicon, polymers, and solar manufacturing equipment, products which are largely destined for export. If the U.S.-China solar trade disputes continue to escalate, it will jeopardize these U.S. investments." Gordon Brinser, President of SolarWorld: "Today, SolarWorld and the many industry players who embrace the sustainable efficiency gains and price declines that come from fair competition can take heart that the U.S. government is standing up against Big China Solar,” said Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America Inc. and leader of the Coalition for Solar Manufacturing (CASM). “Commerce’s careful measures could help thwart China’s illegal drive to control the solar market and supplant manufacturers and jobs in America, the very country that invented, pioneered and innovated solar to today’s mainstream viability.” Steve Ostrenga, CEO Helios Solar Works: "Commerce’s ruling in the SolarWorld case is a bellwether decision. It underscores the importance of domestic manufacturing to the U.S. economy and will help determine whether the country will be a global competitor in clean technologies or outsource them China. It is also critically important for thousands of U.S. workers.” Andrew Beebe, COO of Suntech: “These duties do not reflect the reality of a highly-competitive global solar industry. Suntech has consistently maintained a positive gross margin as revenues are higher than our cost of production. We will work closely with the Department of Commerce prior to their final decision to demonstrate why these duties are not justified by fact." Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: "The Commerce Department’s decision today shows that trade enforcement matters, and is an important step towards combating China’s multiple, massive, and illegal trade violations. It’s been proven that China isn’t competing in the clean-energy marketplace — it’s cheating, and its unfair solar trade practices have already resulted in the announced the loss of thousands of good-paying U.S. manufacturing jobs. I applaud the Commerce Department for working to hold China accountable for its unfair solar subsidies and dumping practices. If we want to have a solar manufacturing industry, we need to utilize trade enforcement tools to combat the massive export subsidies other countries provide. This decision will help establish a fair and level playing field for American manufacturers, including the many solar manufacturers in Northwest Ohio.” The Fallout Many in the industry have been fretting that a steep penalty on Chinese panels would stifle the rate at which solar has been growing in the American market. New tariffs, they say, have the potential to derail the downward costs that have made solar a more appealing option to investors. As a result, the industry could see significantly less growth in the years ahead. And that means fewer American jobs. Melanie Hart and Kate Gordon of the Center for American Progress refuted that notion this week, arguing instead that not challenging legal practices sets up a scenario in which China’s leaders will dictate not only the price of solar panels that dominate the open market, but they will also choose which types of solar technologies their government will support. This, they say, could lead to stunted growth in both installations and innovation. “[O]nce Chinese companies drive out their competition from the solar manufacturing sector, they will immediately start raising prices to increase their profits and start to wean off of government subsidies,” they wrote this week. “We are currently seeing a similar pricing pattern in the global rare earths market. China has around one-third of the world’s rare earth supplies but controls 90 percent of the global market, primarily because lax regulatory oversight enabled Chinese companies to mine cheaply and price everyone else out of the market.” In an op-ed penned for the Boston Globe, Tom Gutierrez, CEO for New Hampshire-based GT Technologies, wrote that the trade dispute has done little to help build a stronger American solar market. All it has done, he said, is force Chinese manufacturers to find new ways to enter the U.S. with their low-cost panels. “Many Chinese manufacturers are simply redirecting their flow of products through other countries to avoid the US-imposed barriers, or in some cases the location of their production, and in all likelihood they will continue to provide the global market with competitively-priced solar panels,” he wrote. “This action by the U.S. government merely forced Chinese companies to find new ways to innovate in order to compete. In all likelihood the Chinese will be just fine. In fact, we may be transforming domestic Chinese players into more formidable forces by encouraging their global diversification and expansion. But what about the U.S. solar industry?” The debate has extended far beyond the solar industry and has become a political lightning rod that has shaped some unexpected alliances. For an industry that depends on liberal-leaning policy support, the free market principles touted by the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy have generally played strongest in conservative circles. Democrats, meanwhile, are pushing a “get-tough-on-China” strategy that threatens to undermine the low-cost goals of much of the industry. Just this week, two Democrats — Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Charles Schumer of New York — introduced a bill aimed at China that would exclude all foreign-made solar panels from a 30-percent tax credit unless the modules passed a threshold of domestic manufacturing. Content Technologies Solar Energy, Solar Tech 25 Reader Comments Comment 1 of 25 maurymarkowitz May 17, 2012 Big smiles at LDK I suspect... their plant in Welland Ontario just ramped production of their 260 monos at a pretty competitive price. Do you think the tariff will apply to panels assembled in Canada? Comment 2 of 25 william-fitch-22587 May 17, 2012 Hi: Well if you are smart, when you see the snowball starting to gain momentum rolling down the mountain, you start slowing it down before it can run away. This is the attitude of the O&G industries regarding solar elect. They know their fate in the long run in that solar elect can, when coupled with electric transportation, seal their coffin. Saw an interesting TED talk with Amory Lovins. His new Book, "Re-Inventing Fire", was well thought out and definitely spells the death of O&G and Nukes for our major energy needs in the not to distant future.... .....Bill Comment 3 of 25 jens-stubbe-65745 May 17, 2012 Sad panic leading to wilful stupidity. Fight fair instead and protect the interest of americans. Much more jobs are lost by delaying solar installations in USA than you can short term salvage in the doomed US PV panel industry. House owners and small businesses will also be prevented from producing their own PV power at an attractive price point. 31% taxation will only buy little time. Everyone that makes a living from installing PV can look forward to a slower year. Comment 4 of 25 robhilbun May 18, 2012 The Chinese goverment wants to subsidise the solar industry. Let them. What does the US government want to do, oh yeah tax it 31%......... nice work, maybe we can set up NSA check points or an international spy ring to make sure they aren't smuggling any solar pnls into our coal/nuclear/dam building grid. Comment 5 of 25 sam-salamay-7842 May 18, 2012 This craziness stems from our government and its inaction to subsidize the solar industry, period. Oil, gas and coal wins again and their subsidies continue. What the hell is wrong with us that our people have no say in where we must go, to a clean energy future. Keystone will be built, drilling in the Gulf continues and our land will frack-on. And i voted for BO so he can keep BO, BG and BC profit for the 1%. Comment 6 of 25 joe-zorzin May 18, 2012 I don't care where the panels come from- only where they're installed, which should be on roofs, not in huge, landscape covering, solar "farms". Comment 7 of 25 william-fitch-22587 May 18, 2012 Hi #4: Don't worry about the NSA. They are solidly in place in Utah with their new 'bottomless' storage facility, monitoring every single American to American email, text, tweet and phone call looking for anyone who wants to upset the plans of the puppeteers. THe Red and Blue is just a SHOW to make the public think they have a peaceful choice in their future by continuing the illusion of hope. In 'Hunger Games', the scene about hope was done rather well I thought. Somewhat interesting that the main reason in the movie given for the games to continue (Hope), keeping the Dystopian world intact, reflects so accurately our current reality.... .....Bill Comment 8 of 25 sam-salamay-7842 May 18, 2012 #7, exactly. After our HOPES were squashed by Obama, our nation is helpless. The GOP and Dems are exactly the same; to feed the 1%er's that power our energy and control policies. Third parties, furgettaboutit...maybe the only way to win would be to abolish the GOP, but with the PACs and Supreme court, it would nearly be impossible unless a powerful clean energy group such as e2.org gets recognized in the mainstream and enacts a mandate for Americans to embrace a shift from fossil fuels to renewables. Romney is a scourge to Americans, having The support of everything that is wrong for our future...Obama can do it, but only if the Dems control both houses of Congress... Comment 9 of 25 synergy99 May 18, 2012 Does anyone else feel like they're reading Atlas Shrugged as they read this article? Comment 10 of 25 jens-stubbe-65745 May 18, 2012 sam-salamay-7842 sorry to inform you that the 31% was proposed and supported by democrats. Do not look for government to ensure the transition from fossil to renewable. Arnold Schwarzenegger is total pro renewable and is very well informed on the subject, which he has made a personal crusade. Believe or not former president George Bush is also keen on renewable and knows a lot about the subject despite his oil background. Many top democrats has also been keen supporters but none have been able to put the pedal to metal and deliver on all the great technologies that was invented by americans in the last 60 years. Carter was laughed out of office and since no president has made renewable energy policy consistent and strategic - its always last minute, always changing and far less supported than the fossil industry. The average Joe wants big cars and cheap gas, so thats what presidents delivers. Comment 11 of 25 sam-salamay-7842 May 18, 2012 #10, it's a game whereas each party says what the people want to hear and the other side kills it. As a solar and biofuels entrepreuner, there is no sustainability for our technologies to prosper as is with the engrained fossil players. They have the money and they use it well. My belief is we must have unabated leadership, so the abolishment of the GOP control must be realized for a chance that clean technologies, creating jobs and re-establishing shared wealth for all Americans will happen in our lifetime. Otherwise, same-old same-old... Trying to save www.mxsolarUSA.com here in NJ and raising funds as a founder of www.homegrownbiofuels.com Comment 12 of 25 jens-stubbe-65745 May 18, 2012 I think americans will continue to become richer in the future and I am certain that you will be based on renewable energy. I doubt more about how much af the tech that will be homegrown. So many great technologies was invented in US and so few became worldwide or even US commercial hits. All presidents have invested heavily in controlling oil and have even subsidized oil on top of that. Nuclear was and is also heavily subsidized. Since renewables arrived they have been rediculed and not at all nurtured like they should have been. Bill Gates the guy who believed that internet was a fad refer to solar and wind as cute stuff and invest his money in nuclear. Comment 13 of 25 william-fitch-22587 May 18, 2012 Hi #11: You are missing the point (At least as delivered in your posts). Red and Blue, with few exceptions, are OWNED by the same Puppeteers. They have been going after this agenda for 50 + years. You have to remember, the main fear of the big "R" for the Puppeteers is not the masses dieing or even some of them. It is the possibility of uncorrelated transfers of wealth. This is the real fear. People come and go but wealth and its relative area of penetration spans centuries. Once lost, it might NEVER be recovered. It is this change that can cause a REAL shift in how the world functions for generations upon generations, even centuries... .....Bill Comment 14 of 25 dpickard May 18, 2012 I'm not all that educated about this subject, but when reading the decision yesterday, I want to clalify that this not only effects solar panels coming out of China but solar cells as well. That means that many 'American made' panels (ie: tenKsolar and Motech) will have to pay the 31% tariff. So in my thinking, this decision will effect the prices of all panels. Are any solar cells made in America? Comment 15 of 25 hawkster May 18, 2012 Eliminating the Tax credit for foreign made panels make sense. it should have been done a long time ago. Comment 16 of 25 simpleenergy May 18, 2012 Who gets the 31%? What will they do with it? That 31% is taken straight from the end CONSUMER. The module makers won't sell at a 31% loss. Make no mistake. This tariff is aimed at making money off Americans. How exactly does this help the 'Americans'? Politicians trying to 'fix' things screwing them all up with massive 'unintended consequences.' This is no different from the protectionism of Detroit for this whole past generation. (we were protected from Japan) The only thing that finally got Detroit producing again is the actual collapse of the big three. Prediction 1: American solar manufacturing is doomed. This is a 'cornered dog' attitude and strategy. Because they have taken this 'protectionist' strategy the only thing that will save them is their ultimate collapse. Prediction 2: Solar installations in America will continue to progress IN SPITE of our ridiculous 'regulators.' (modules are made in Thailand, Philipines...., etc.) The marketplace is like a football field. The 'gubmnt' is a huge Rabid elephant in the middle of the football field stomping whoever it wants. The game goes on because most people stay well clear and learn how to avoid it. Those who depend on the elephant will eventually die a bloody death (of their own choosing). Comment 17 of 25 jens-stubbe-65745 May 18, 2012 Hi Simpleenergy seems you have summoned the important points nicely. I almost forgot Detroit. US is today a net importer of cars and carparts - almost incomprehensible in a country where Henry Ford revolutionized the car industry. Look at it this way in a few months time the panel price from China drops the needed 31% and this travesti will only delay the necessary transition and tax american home owners. What puzzles me the most is how the "fact" that China use subsidies was established. Comment 18 of 25 john-carr-174305 May 18, 2012 Not all business is good business. Many of you get very angry when the Federal Government steps out and fulfills one of their primary functions: The defense and protection of the American people. American arms dealers suffer when wars end. Shall we start wars for the sake of business? Not all business is good business. Destroying American industry through systematically subsidizing competing Chinese companies is a direct threat to the U.S. It is the US government's mandate to protect its citizens. Using these tactics creates sympathy for the abuser. But it is no different than detonating a bomb in the factory after hours. The industrial base is destroyed just the same. Don't mistake cheap for doing us a favor. Not all business is good business. You want to buy a US made solar panel? You can buy them at a very competitive price from 1Soltech in Farmer's Branch, Texas. www.1soltech.com The tariff money should be used to increase the 30% subsidy to 50% for American end users installing solar, with an American Made stipulation. That way, we don't end up getting taxed and the whole thing is a windfall for US Consumers. No image available Comment 19 of 25 Anonymous May 18, 2012 #14 "Are any Solar Cells made in the US" ABSOLUTELY! The manufacturing companies represented by CASM produce their own cells in the US. Anyone who feels this is the doom of the US solar industry has the foresight of about 3 days. These are products with 25 YEAR warranties, not kids toys, or textiles that last 3 years. Long term, meaning our kids and theirs, energy independence does not mean relying on foreign entities for our energy resources. Am I frustrated that the Chinese government took significant action to promote a renewable energy source Industry and the US did not? OF COURSE! 1. If you think Panel prices are going to go up by 31% across the board, you are not paying attention, if panel prices rise by more than 10%, I would be amazed. 2. Many seem to forget that the industry and installations were growing at a 35-40%/year rate BEFORE the module dump started in '09. 3. The affordability of many of the system now have far less to do with the price of the modules dropping, and far more to do with the Financing that has developed around the FTC for installations. 4. Claiming that the Solar industry only grew because of the drop in module prices, just tells me how long you have been in the industry and how little you actually know about it. (even the years when module prices went up in '04-'06, installations still grew) 5. Simple...you are being a sensationalist conspiracy hound. A. 31% is supplied to the government (reducing our debt). B. here's an idea, instead of the American consumer paying 31% higher than the dumped prices of modules from China, they pay 10% more and buy a high quality American made panel? Or even better yet, they pay 0% more, Installers stop taking 30% margins on the products, the inverter companies work on dropping prices, the installers become more efficient at installations? Prediction 1: US PV industry isn't going anywhere. Prediction 2: the US will have to remember how to make our own stuff again FE Comment 20 of 25 william-fitch-22587 May 18, 2012 Hi: #16 'Who gets the 31%' They will give it to the O&G companies for their subsidies. #18 "Shall we start wars for the sake of business?" We already do. You don't actually believe that poor un-funded Middle East regular people can terrorize the USA do you?? One of the main reasons to start wars is to show the people there is a need for Government protection and to fund the MIC. .....Bill Comment 21 of 25 robhilbun May 18, 2012 jon-carr from above ...... yes if the gov put the 31% tarriff into a 50% tax rebate on solar installations,(which they probably won't), we would be penalizing the Chinese for rebating manufacturing and now we are rebating the US install with thier money .... this is why no one likes us in this world, because we are represented by unscupulous business/gov folks who want your natural resources and our hired mercenaries who will kill you if you don't give them to us. Comment 22 of 25 george-reynoldson-33887 May 18, 2012 Political scientists for many generations will likely ignore this tariff spat and instead record May 17, 2012 as "Gaia's Bad Day". This is because the importance of the 31% tariff to trade will be minimal compared to the fact that it was announced (as in politically covered) almost simultaneously with Energy Secretary Chu's "solar platitudes" at the World Renewable Energy Forum in Denver and the release of API CEO Jack Gerard's "to do list" to both GOP and DEM platform committees on May 16 along with the simultaneous passage of H.R. 4381, H.R. 4382, and H.R. 4383 which opened public lands to the US hydrocarbon industry... all supported by three GOP Colorado congressmen: Rep. Scott Tipton, Rep. Mike Coffmann, and Rep. Doug Lamborn. No doubt many in Beijing, Houston, and Riyadh admired the genius of yesterday's "polit-strategy" while US politicians undermined US national security, domestic land management and citizen's right to defend both in three pieces of Congressional legislation. (see http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/05/17/485299/fulfilling-apis-wish-list-colorado-republicans-offer-more-bills-to-throw-open-public-lands-to-drilling/). Especially significant in future political science textbooks will be the quietness of Jack Gerard's Congressional wish list (shh), "American Made Energy: Report to the Platform Committees" which supports legislators who, under the guise of patriotism, will obediently: (1) Open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge 1002 Area; (2) Bulldoze portions of the Rocky Mountains; (3) Lift the drilling moratorium in New York, and (4) Accelerate timely "review" of projects on federal land. The 100th year anniversary of Gaia's Bad Day (May 17, 2112) in New York may be celebrated by die hard financial wizards and speculators in row boats trying to navigate their way to Wall Street and THE silence promoter, Fred Koch (Joseph Stalin's oil guy) will have a featured chapter all his own in most 2112 political science textbooks. Comment 23 of 25 sam-salamay-7842 May 18, 2012 Especially significant in future political science textbooks will be the quietness of Jack Gerard's Congressional wish list. Exactly. Everyone is paid-off. Everything is quietly pushed through with the disguise of energy independence while fossil keeps rolling-on. No leadership, which is why we need to bounce the GOP for an opportunity for the DEMS to lead, representing the majority of Americans to work, live in a clean environment and sharing prosperity, one community at a time. Thank you # 22 for pointing out Congress doing "its thing"... Comment 24 of 25 peter-bradshaw May 18, 2012 Comment 10 reminds me that, trying to toss out my 46-uears-worth of technical journals (mainly on the semiconductor industry that I worked in) I found some items in 1980 discussing some innovations in PV technology that were likely to bear fruit in the next few years. Then poor (technical geek) Carter (a nuclear submarine officer, who installed solar panels on the White House) was replaced by grandfather Reagan, who removed the panels, and essentially brought PV progress to a halt. Maybe the world will soon see the relative heros here the same way I do. My PV panels were made by BP, before they gave up trying to deflate the industry, but are still making me money, via the 70% of our electric consumption they have provided over the last 3 years. Sometimes the road to heaven is paved with bad intentions? Let us all hope that the predictions in above comments that the 31% tariff will be undermined by other cost reductions works out one way or another. Comment 25 of 25 onegreenday May 18, 2012 Did you see the video of the Chinese panel maker? The assembly line was no sweatshop. They worked at a regular pace. They claim the panels were cheaper because of labor costs but it looked like very little labor. Read more at: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/05/31-percent-anti-dumping-tariffs-announced-for-chinese-solar-panels Top of blog:

US claims 'unprecedented' success in test for new fuel source

By Miguel Llanos, msnbc.com Could the future of cleaner fossil fuel really be frozen crystals now trapped in ocean sediments and under permafrost? Backed by an oil industry giant, the Obama administration recently tested a drilling technique in Alaska's Arctic that it says might eventually unlock "a vast, entirely untapped resource that holds enormous potential for U.S. economic and energy security." Some experts believe the reserves could provide domestic fuel for hundreds of years to come. Those crystals, known as methane hydrates, contain natural gas but so far releasing that fuel has been an expensive proposition. The drilling has its environmental critics, but there’s also a climate bonus: The technique requires injecting carbon dioxide into the ground, thereby creating a new way to remove the warming gas from the atmosphere. Advertise | AdChoices "You're storing the CO2, and also liberating the natural gas," Christopher Smith, the Energy Department's oil and natural gas deputy assistant secretary, told msnbc.com. "It's kind of a two-for-one." The Energy Department, in a statement last week, trumpeted it as "a successful, unprecedented test" and vowed to pump at least $6 million more into future testing. "While this is just the beginning, this research could potentially yield significant new supplies of natural gas," Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced. ConocoPhillips, the oil company that worked on the test at its oil facility in Alaska's North Slope, was hopeful the technique could become economically feasible for producing natural gas, a fuel that's much cleaner than petroleum. "Many experts believe that methane hydrates hold significant potential to supply the world with clean fossil fuel," spokesman Davy Kong told msnbc.com. "The completion of this successful test of technology is an important step in developing production technology to access this potential resource while sequestering carbon dioxide." But even the CO2 bonus doesn't convince environmentalists worried about a reliance on fossil fuels -- the key source for manmade carbon dioxide emissions. "Finding new ways to produce fossil fuels doesn't change the fact that we can't transfer to the atmosphere all the carbon in the fuels we already have without causing catastrophic climate disruption," Dan Lashof, a climate analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, told msnbc.com. "Rather than perpetually seeking new sources of fossil fuel, our federal research dollars should be going into carbon-free energy sources" like solar and wind, added Brendan Cummings, public lands director at the Center for Biological Diversity, a group that's tied climate impacts to its petitions to protect wildlife. Cummings also worries about inadvertent releases of methane, which is even more powerful as a warming gas than CO2. Alaska's Arctic is the U.S. area "most under stress from warming," he added. "Even if we could safely develop and install infrastructure there, we're still industrializing an area that essentially should be left alone." Methane hydrate fans include Vladimir Romanovsky, a permafrost expert at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. It has "great potential and not much danger" compared to conventional natural gas, he said. "Extracting energy and sequestering CO2 is win-win situation." Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, the ranking Republican on the Senate energy committee, noted that future testing needs to look at issues like soil stability, but overall she was bullish. "If we can bring this technology to commercialization, it would truly be a game changer for America," she said in a statement. "Taken together, U.S. lands and waters contain a quarter of the world’s methane hydrates -- enough to power America for 1,000 years at current rates of energy consumption," her office added. Related: US wants 'fracking' on fed lands to list chemicals Alaska alone could hold 600 trillion cubic feet of methane hydrates onshore, the office stated, citing U.S. Geological Survey estimates. That's potentially three times more than the known natural gas deposits in Alaska. The state also estimates a whopping 200,000 trillion cubic feet of methane hydrates lie under Alaskan waters. That reflects that fact that the vast majority of methane hydrates -- the U.S. Geological Survey estimates 99 percent -- are in ocean sediments. Read more at: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/05/11522433-us-claims-unprecedented-success-in-test-for-new-fuel-source?lite Top of blog:

Arbor Day date is April 27 2012

Arbor Day date is April 27 2012 National Arbor Day is officially on April 27 2012, the last Sunday in April, as set by The Arbor Day Foundation. This spring holiday of tree-planting is popping up in social media trends as the occasion gets ever-closer. Arbor Day is under the umbrella of the Arbor Day Foundation, and is celebrated in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Confusingly, the actual dates that Arbor Day is celebrated may change from state to state. That's because, if trees are to be planted, they'd better be planted at an appropriate season. In the case of the south, that may mean January or February; in the case of the north, it could be as late as May. The Arbor Day Foundation publishes a full list on its website. The most fitting way to celebrate Arbor Day is to plant a tree this April 27. However, you can celebrate the occasion in any number of ways, just so long as it involves enjoying trees. Ideas include going camping or hiking, dedicating a tree to a loved one, or checking out trees in your nearest national park—this is, after all, also National Park Week. However, it is not necessary to hug trees on Arbor Day; that, as it turns out, had its own day on April 19. (Story continues below.) National Arbor Day started in 1872 in Nebraska. Pioneers brought over trees for their beauty but also to stop erosion. While Arbor Day is a state holiday in Nebraska, in other states it's not an official holiday, just an official observance. Today, Arbor Day serves as a reminder of how important it is to conserve and care for trees. Linda Gentile is the National Seasonal Trends Examiner. She covers the circle of the year from the standpoint of its holidays, seasons and “times,” including Arbor Day. To get the latest updates, subscribe to this column here, or view it in your feed reader. Scroll down for more articles and to comment. Arbor Day is April 27 2012 Arbor Day is April 27 2012 Photo credit: Linda Gentile Arbor Day Foundation video about replanting national forests after years of devastating wildfires. April 27, 2012, is Arbor Day. Video: Arbor Day: Replanting our national forests Related topics: Arbor Day Arbor Day 2012 april holidays Suggested by the author: What is Arbor Day about? Arbor Day Foundation facts and history America the Beautiful pass: Free national park admission with interagency pass National Park Week 2012: Free national park admission in National Park Week National Junior Ranger Day is April 28: National park activities for kids St. George's Day is April 23, but England's patron saint never came to England Click here to find out more! http://www.examiner.com/article/when-is-arbor-day-2012-arbor-day-date-is-april-27-2012 Linda Gentile, Seasonal Trends Examiner Seasons and special days make the year go round and give us bright points to look forward to. Whether they're long seasons like summer, man-made like tax season, or single days like Earth Day, annual celebrations all have their own social buzz, foods, events and traditions. For a look at what's... Subscribe RSS Feed Become an Examiner Comments To Top of Blog:

Earth Day April 22, 2012

Mobilize the Earth. Earth Day. 4.22.12 NEW! Cheap Trick, Dave Mason, Kicking Daisies and Explorers Club to Perform at Earth Day Rally on the National Mall On April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Together we will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part. Attend a local Earth Day event and join one of our Earth Day campaigns as we collect A Billion Acts of Green® and elevate the importance of environmental issues around the world. More information at the offical website: http://www.earthday.org/2012 To top of blog:usaalternativeenergynow.com

20th Environmental Film Festival, March 13-25, 2012 Washington, D.C.

20th Environmental Film Festival, March 13-25, 2012
Washington, D.C.

The critical role that the environment plays in human health has inspired the theme of the 2012 Festival. Read more.
Take Amtrak to Washington, D.C. for the Environmental Film Festival!

Special Pre-Festival Screening on March 1st
Date: February 2, 2012

Cafeteria Man (2011, USA, 60 min.) chronicles an ambitious effort to ‘green’ the Baltimore public school diet serving 83,000 students. Leading the charge to replace pre-plated, processed foods with locally-grown, freshly-prepared meals is visionary Chef Tony Geraci, food-service director for the city’s public schools. His bold vision includes school vegetable gardens, student-designed meals, meatless Mondays, and nutrition education in the classroom. Over the course of two years, the film traces efforts to make healthy, nutritious meals available to all the city’s students. Watch as inner city youth plant and harvest vegetables at the school system’s 33-acre teaching farm and witness what it takes to get local produce on school plates.

Introduced by Peter O’Brien, Executive Director, Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital. Discussion with filmmakers, Richard Chisolm and Sheila Kinkade, and Chef Tony Geraci follows screening.

Date/Time:
Thursday, March 1st
10:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

Location:
Warner Theatre
513 13th St., NW (13th & E Sts., NW)
Metro: Metro Center (12th & F Sts., exit)
Metrobuses: D1, D3, D6, P17, P19, W13, 32, 36

Ticket/Reservation Info:
FREE. To register student groups please contact Maribel Guevara at 202-342-2564 or maribel@envirofilmfest.org. This film is recommended for grades 6-12

No reservations required for general public.

This program is available through Arts for Every Student, the tickets and transportation program of the DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative. For information on how to benefit from this program, please call 202-204-7753.
EFF Participates in Give to the Max Day 11/9
Date: October 27, 2011

To help generate donations, and possibly win thousands of additional dollars in awards, on November 9th the Environmental Film Festival will be competing in Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington, a massive one-day regional online fundraiser to support local nonprofits. More than a thousand nonprofits that serve the greater Washington region will ask donors to display their generosity in a region-wide competition to raise as much money as possible, and gain as many supporters as possible, in order to win hundreds of thousands of dollars in awards.

For 24 hours, starting at 12:00 AM on November 9th, nonprofits will drive their supporters online to donate, creating a huge display of support for one of the region’s largest sectors. There will be more than $100,000 in cash awards available for local nonprofits who generate the most in donations, and those that attract the most individual donors. EFF is excited to be a part of this campaign and we hope you can show your support on November 9th. Help us reach our goal of 50 unique donors between 3 PM - 4 PM.

To help EFF and the great work we do every day,

1) Save this link and mark your calendar for November 9th, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
2) Help spread the word by sharing with friends and family
3) Learn more about Give to the Max Day

The Washington area nonprofit sector is one of the region’s most important economic drivers. To help local nonprofits, Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington was created by online fundraiser Razoo, and organized and supported by The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region and United Way of the National Capital Area.
The Arctic Trilogy screening 10/27
Date: October 24, 2011

The Arctic Trilogy (2011)

Paddling a kayak past glacier walls and polar bears, cruising on a hundred-year-old schooner through iceberg-packed seas, exploring tunnels in an ice cave, descending deep beneath the Arctic terrain to mine coal: these are just some of the extreme scenarios Janet Biggs captured when she ventured to Svalbard, the islands between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Awe-inspiring nature has its role to play, but Biggs’s trilogy focuses on the human dimensions of her subjects’ quests, exploring what draws people into working relationships with such a harsh, forbidding environment. Each twenty-minute video gathers force as the artist alternates stunning imagery with vocals by avant-garde performance artists John Kelly and Bill Coleman.

Date/Time:
Thursday, October 27, 2011
8 PM

Location:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Ring Auditorium
Independence Ave. & Seventh St., SW
(Metro: L’Enfant Plaza, 7th St. & Maryland Ave. exit. Blue, Orange, Yellow and Green lines)
(Metrobuses: 13A, 13B, 13F, 13G, 52, V7, V9, 34, 36, 54, 70, 71, P17, P19, W13, Circulator)

Ticket/Reservation Info:
FREE. No reservations required.

To visit the Hirshhorn's website please click HERE.
Watch: Short videos about 2011 Festival
Date: October 11, 2011

Re-visit the 2011 Festival! EFF has uploaded two new short films featuring events from March 15-27, 2011. Click the links below to watch. Filmed and edited by Eduard Tabaku.

2011 Festival Highlight
2011 Pre-Festival event For Students
10/6 Premiere screening & discussion of PIPE DREAMS
Date: September 27, 2011

On Thursday, October 6th, 2011, at 5:30 PM & 8:00 PM please join the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club for a premiere of the new documentary on the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline, PIPE DREAMS.

PIPE DREAMS (USA, 2011, 40 min.) explores the controversy surrounding the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada’s tar sands through America’s heartland -- Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas -- to the Gulf Coast. Featuring interviews with farmers and ranchers along the pipeline’s route and Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, International Program Director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the film showcases the David and Goliath struggle to protect some of America’s most fertile farmland and the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest aquifers on the planet and the lifeblood of the region. Narrated by Daryl Hannah. Directed by Leslie Iwerks.

Introduced by Academy-Award nominated director, Leslie Iwerks. A panel discussion follows screening. Panelists: Leslie Iwerks, Director; Randy Thompson, Nebraska rancher; Susan Connolly, Michigan community member impacted by the Enbridge tar sands oil spill; George Poitras, Mikisew Cree Canadian indigenous first nation; Lorne Stockman, Oil Change International, Author, "Exporting Energy Security: Keystone XL."

Date/Time:
Thursday, October 6th, 2011
5:30 PM
8:00 PM

Ticket/Reservation Information:
FREE. Reservations required.

To RSVP for this event please email MackeyK@nwf.org

Location:
Goethe-Institut, 812 Seventh St., NW 

(Metro: Gallery Place/ Chinatown, 7th & H Sts. exit. Yellow, Orange and Green lines) 

(Metrobuses: 80, P6, X2, 42, G8, Circulator, 70)

For more information, please contact Jenny Kordick; KordickJ@nwf.org; 202-797-6607.

© 2012 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital
INTERACTIVE MAP

Use the Map to find the locations of film screenings and EFF partnering organizations


Travel to the Environmental Film Festival in an environmentally friendly way!

Plan your trips to Festival screenings by train, bus, bike or foot by visiting GoDCGo and using their interactive map.

For Metrorail and Metrobus information, consult the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority or call 202-637-7000 to reach customer information.

Visit Capital Bikeshare to learn how to use their bikes at stations across D.C. and Arlington County.

Google GO TO MAP

© 2012 Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital | Sitemap | FAQ


Reas more at:
http://www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org/

usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com encourages everyone to attend this informative event.



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Honda Loses Top Spot on Annual 'Green' Car List

Honda Loses Top Spot on Annual 'Green' Car List
Civic that runs on compressed natural gas drops to second after 8 years at No. 1.

By Douglas Newcomb Wed 4:24 PM
Exhaust Notes

With a significant drop in U.S. sales, a tepid reception for its new 2012 Civic and a one-two punch from dual natural disasters, Honda probably wants to put 2011 behind it. Now comes news that the automaker's compressed-natural-g​as Civic has been bumped from its perennial top ranking on a respected "green"-car guide.



The Washington, D.C.-based environmental lobbying group American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has published its annual Greenest Vehicles list at Greenercars.org for the past 14 years -- and the Honda Civic CNG has occupied the top spot for the past eight. This year, the No. 1 ranking was awarded to the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the first electric car to earn top honors in the past 12 years.


The last all-electric car to hit ACEEE’s top spot was GM’s ill-fated EV-1. Shruti Vaidyanathan, head vehicle analyst for ACEEE, said that an electric car topping the list again after so long shows that "electric cars are becoming more prominent," although she acknowledged that huge hurdles for EVs still exist, such as range and refueling infrastructure.


Honda's being pulled down a notch comes on the heels of the Civic CNG garnering Green Car Journal's coveted Green Car of the Year Award at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, where it beat out the Mitsubishi i for the honor. But it follows a lukewarm press reception and lackluster U.S. sales for the all-new 2012 Civic. The stalwart Japanese automaker took the unprecedented move of announcing a rushed refresh for the popular Civic, reworking the model only few months after it went on sale last April.


The ACEEE’s online guide ranks more than 1,000 vehicles and derives their green score based on a wide range of factors, including fuel efficiency, tailpipe emissions, emissions from the vehicle manufacturing processes and the health impact of those emissions. The Mitsubishi i had a green score of 58, while the Civic CNG and the fellow second-pace finisher the Nissan Leaf scored 55 points each.


Overall, Honda sales were down 7.1 percent in 2011 compared with 2010. Some of this is due to the devastating tsunami that hit Japan in March and floods that struck the company’s factories in Thailand in July. But it’s also due to what some see as stagnant design and innovation at Honda, particularly at a time when domestic rivals have roared back and South Korea’s Kia and Hyundai have increasingly won over U.S. buyers.



The Mitsubishi i was launched in the U.S. last month, and the automaker has sold only a handful of the 4-seat subcompact cars, mostly to fleet buyers. The i followed the Nissan Leaf as the second EV to reach U.S. showrooms, and more all-electric cars competitors -- the Toyota RAV4 and Ford Focus EV, for example -- are scheduled to debut later this year.


The Toyota Prius and Honda Insight occupy the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, on ACEEE’s top 12 list; other conventional hybrids take up half of all the spots, and compact gasoline-powered cars account for three of the top 12 slots. No vehicles from domestic brands made ACEEE's list, although American vehicles such as the Chevrolet Sonic and Ford Escape Hybrid topped their respective classes.


Domestics did dominate ACEEE’s "meanest" list, accounting for nine of the dozen most environmentally unfriendly vehicles of this year, which previously featured several prominent European exotics. For 2012, the Bugatti Veyron took a third in the "meanest" ranking. The top spot was shared by GM’s full-size cargo/passenger vans, the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana, with Ford's E-350 wagon "winning" third place.


Read more at:
http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost-hyb.aspx?post=026d0848-e31d-435e-9eaa-25924f94dfe5?icid=autos_2338

Top of blog: href="http://www.usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com/">To top of blog usaalternativeenergynow.blogspot.com

Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies

January 26, 2012
Energy Tax Breaks Proposed, Despite Waning Support for Subsidies
By DIANE CARDWELL

Assisted by technological innovation and years of subsidies, the cost of wind and solar power has fallen sharply — so much so that the two industries say that they can sometimes deliver cleaner electricity at prices competitive with power made from fossil fuels.

At the same time, wind and solar companies are telling Congress that they cannot be truly competitive and keep creating jobs without a few more years of government support.

Their efforts received a boost on Thursday from President Obama, who called for a package of tax credits for renewable power as part of a broader energy plan that he outlined while on a campaign swing through Nevada and Colorado.

But the lobbying by the wind and solar industries comes at a time when there is little enthusiasm for alternative-energy subsidies in Washington.

Overall concerns about the deficit are making lawmakers more skeptical about any new tax breaks for business in general. And taxpayer losses of more than half a billion dollars on Solyndra, a bankrupt maker of solar modules that defaulted on a federal loan, has tarnished the image of renewable power in particular.

“Most of the folks I think recognize that this is not a Solyndra effort here,” said Representative David G. Reichert, Republican of Washington, who introduced a bill to extend a renewable tax credit last year. Solyndra was financed under a now-expired program, part of the 2009 stimulus package, that provided government loan guarantees for clean-energy projects, some of which administration officials expected to be risky.

The wind and solar companies argue that the tax breaks they are seeking are different. The tax credits can be taken only by businesses that are already up and running, so taxpayers are less likely to be stuck subsidizing a failing company, proponents say.

“This is a program that doesn’t pick winners or losers,” said Rhone Resch, president and chief executive of the Solar Energy Industries Association. “It’s hard to argue against a program like this that is creating jobs.”

Without the new breaks, industry executives warn, they will be forced to scale back production and eliminate jobs in a still-weak economy.

The American division of Iberdrola, a big Spanish producer of wind turbines, is already feeling the impending loss of one tax break that expires this year. “We’ve seen the prospects for new wind farms really fall off,” said Donald Furman, a senior vice president at Iberdrola Renewables, which announced this week that it was laying off 50 employees. “We’re not getting out of the business and we’re not in any financial trouble, but we are doing the prudent thing so that we don’t have issues.”

The tax break that Iberdrola and other wind companies rely on, called the production tax credit, has been in place since 1992 but after repeated extensions is now scheduled to expire at the end of 2012. It allows for a credit of 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated for the first 10 years of a project’s operation, which the industry says is sometimes enough to eliminate the price difference between wind power and fossil fuels.

The Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation recently estimated that the production tax credit would cost the government $6.8 billion from 2011 to 2015 for projects in place before the end of this year.

The other tax break, which expired at the end of last year and was especially popular with solar companies, allows renewable energy companies to get 30 percent of the cost of a new project back as a cash grant once construction is complete. Without the cash grant program, a company can still take the 30 percent credit, but must spread the benefit over a period of years. The industry says the grant program is more effective because it encourages a broader range of private investors to help finance its projects.

As of early this year, the cash-grant program, known as the 1603 program, had awarded $1.76 billion for more than 22,000 solar projects, according to the Treasury Department.

Mr. Obama, who has been a steadfast supporter of clean-energy programs, has already begun making a case for new government investment in clean energy projects as a way to foster both energy independence and employment at a time when Capitol Hill evaluates new laws in terms of job creation as well as budget cost or savings.

“Because of federal investments, renewable energy use — sources like wind and solar — has nearly doubled,” Mr. Obama said at a stop at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colo., where he promoted the increasing use of renewable power by the military and repeated a call for Congress to approve the tax credits. “Thousands of Americans have jobs because of those efforts.”

Mr. Obama used his trip to press for increased use of liquid natural gas in transportation, appearing at a United Parcel Service center in Las Vegas that received a stimulus grant to support natural gas-fueled trucks. He also said that the Interior Department would open up about 38 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to gas and oil exploration and development, selling leases in June. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management estimates drilling there could yield one billion barrels of oil and four trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, wind projects account for more than a third of all the new electric generation installed in recent years, while over the last six years, domestic wind turbine production has grown twelvefold, to more than 400 facilities in 43 states. A recent study by Navigant Consulting found that this year the industry would support 78,000 jobs, but that the number would fall to 41,000 in 2013 without an extension of the production tax credit.

Solar, too, is growing quickly in the United States. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, more solar was installed in the third quarter of 2011 than in all of 2009 combined. A one-year extension of the 1603 tax-grant program would create an additional 37,000 solar industry jobs in 2012, according to a report by EuPD Research.

Lobbyists for both industries say the new tax breaks need to be passed quickly and are trying to get Congress to include them in a bill to extend the payroll tax cut.

That bill, like all tax cuts these days, has Congress at loggerheads. “But true performance-based incentives, where incentives are only provided when actual production occurs, seem to be maintaining their support,” said Robert Gramlich, senior vice president for public policy for the American Wind Energy Association.

How this will play out in Congress is anybody’s guess, lawmakers say. Mr. Reichert said the credits were not yet part of the negotiations over the payroll tax cut, which is due to expire at the end of February.

Republican leaders may look to revive the Keystone XL oil pipeline — as proposed, the pipeline would run 1,700 miles from oil sands in Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast — as part of a compromise to approve the renewable energy credits, according to lobbyists and lawmakers involved in the discussions.

But there is a lot of ideological opposition to more tax credits, said Senator Jeff Bingaman, Democrat of New Mexico and the chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, who supports the extension.

“The rhetoric is that the government should get out of the way,” he said. “That gets translated into opposition to a lot of these things.”

The New York Times reports on renewable energy.


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Navy to purchase gigawatt of renewable energy by 2020

The Navy said Thursday it will ramp up its use of public-private partnerships to purchase one gigawatt of renewable energy by 2020.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement that one gigawatt is enough to power a city the size of Orlando, Fla. — or about 250,000 homes.

The purchase will be one means for the Navy to meet its goal that half of its energy comes from renewable sources by the end of fiscal 2020.

President Obama in his State of the Union address on Tuesday singled out the Navy for "one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history."

The Navy will reach its goal by using a variety of alternative financing techniques, including:

• Energy savings performance contracts, where a company pays the upfront investment for energy-efficiency renovations and retrofits in exchange for payments from energy savings over time.

• Enhanced-use leases, where a company gets to develop government land with renewable energy or other projects in exchange for payment or in-kind services such as reduced-rate energy.

• Power purchase agreements, in which a power company constructs an energy system in exchange for fixed payments over a certain number of years.

Mabus will establish a task force that will select appropriate renewable energy projects, the Navy said.

Tom Hicks, deputy assistant Navy secretary, said at a panel discussion in July that the service expects to have 100 megawatts of solar power, six megawatts of wind power and 270 megawatts of geothermal power by the end of 2012.

By ANDY MEDICI | Last Updated:January 26, 2012
Federal Times


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Buffett’s MidAmerican Utility Buys Three Iowa Wind Farm Projects

Buffett’s MidAmerican Utility Buys Three Iowa Wind Farm Projects

Bloomberg reports By Andrew Herndon - Jan 6, 2012 1:50 PM ET

A unit of Warren Buffett’s MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. (329802Q) acquired three wind-energy projects in Iowa that will have a combined generating capacity of 404.8 megawatts at completion.

MidAmerican Energy Co., Iowa’s largest utility, bought from RPM Access LLC the 103.5-megawatt Vienna wind project that will be built in Marshall and Tama counties, it said today in a statement. The Des Moines, Iowa-based company also purchased two projects from Clipper Windpower Development Co., including the 200.1-megawatt Eclipse project in Guthrie and Audubon counties and the 101.2-megawatt Morning Light project in Adair County.

The projects are expected to be completed by year-end, increasing MidAmerican’s wind generation to 2,284.8 megawatts, according to the statement. The company will have invested $4 billion in Iowa wind farms once the three plants enter service, it said.

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. is a subsidiary of Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK/A)

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Herndon in San Francisco at aherndon2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net


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Solar Panels Compete With Cheap Natural Gas

Renewable energy is growing rapidly in the U.S., with wind and solar industries enjoying double-digit growth each year. Part of that growth comes from more homeowners choosing to install solar panels.

With government subsidies, some people can even make a financial argument for installing the panels. But in recent years, the price of one fossil fuel — natural gas — has declined so much that solar panels are having difficulty competing.

The reason natural gas prices have fallen is because production is way up, thanks to hydraulic fracturing. Fracking, as it's called, is a controversial drilling technology that some say harms the environment. But the process has also made it possible to extract oil and gas once thought to be trapped in rock too deep underground for drillers to reach.

Due in large part to a combination of fracking and horizontal drilling, there's been a nearly 30 percent increase in the amount of natural gas produced in the U.S. since 2005.

"We've got a classic situation of supply and demand," says Kathryn Klaber, president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, an industry group based outside Pittsburgh.

Natural gas demand has not gone up as quickly as supply, and Klaber says the price has dropped.

"A handful of years ago, natural gas could have been in the order of 12, 13, 14 dollars per million BTU," she says. "We're now down to three to four [dollars]."

This has allowed utilities that burn natural gas to produce electricity to hold the line on rates. For most of us, that's a good thing, but for those who've installed solar panels, it makes that investment less of a bargain.

Barbara Scott had 21 solar panels installed last March on her house in Media, Pa. Scott's family was the first in the community, and she was prepared to evangelize, "We can have open houses and write newsletter articles and promote the idea of solar," she said. But that was before the economics changed.

With government rebates and tax incentives, Scott says, her family spent $21,000 to install the system. She figured it would take eight years to recoup that investment.
........


http://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144526652/solar-panels-compete-with-cheap-natural-gas
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Surge in hybrid owners on horizon

Published on Thursday 5 January 2012 12:42

Eco-warriors will be delighted with the news that hybrid cars are soon to undergo a surge in popularity, according to a new study from oil company Exxon Mobil.

The company released its annual energy report recently, which revealed that by 2040, low emission cars will make up half of all vehicles on the roads.

The news is likely to be particularly welcomed by environmental groups, many of whom have repeatedly expressed worries over the impact of the environment our over reliance on oil and petrol has. The idea that many car owners will switch to a hybrid, coupled with the increasingly advanced science behind fuel alternatives, means that it is expected that developed countries will be able to stabilise their energy demand over the coming 30 years, with countries such as the US expected to undergo no significant rises in oil consumption.

Aside from the impact on the environment, this news will also be received well by economists and financial experts the world over. Increased energy efficiency and lower fuel consumption is thought to be linked to financial growth and the economy. The report suggested that while worldwide-GDP would grow by a rate of 2.9 per cent a year until 2040, energy demand would only grow by a comparatively smaller 0.9 per cent.

However, there is some bad news. Exxon Mobil predicts that developing countries will not be able to stabilise their energy demand in the same way as more developed ones, due to the expense of funding research into fuel efficiency and in switching to a more sustainable method. Indeed, developing countries are expected to increase energy demand by 60 per cent between now and 2040, unless switches to a more sustainable method can be made quickly, easily and inexpensively.


Read more (in new window) at: www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/community/surge_in_hybrid_owners_on_horizon_1_4115514/

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