Radio Show today on WARL 1320 and a new charging station in RI

As you know, we are live each Weds from 12-p, EST on WARL 1320 and on their worldwide stream.Today's show is focusing on the economic vale of mass transit, and the return on investment seen by city's that invest heavily in mass transit.. In studio with me is Frank from EcoNewsRI, a writer for their great, on-line newspaper. We will have other expert guests with us from RI and MA.Please call in with your comments and questions. Here are the numbers: (401)273-1555, -6734 & (508)967-6817.Feel free to listen on line and email, Tweet or send us a note through Facebook. No matter what, we will get it and get your comments and questions on the air.The like to their web site: http://1320warlradio.com/gs/Also, great news from Anchor Subaru on a new charging station in RI. This from Tina at...

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Miracle Rice Uses Less Water to Grow, Emits Less Methane

Great story from Eco Geek on the work being done at the University of Agriculture at Bangalore, India to cultivate rice that uses much less water, emits less methane and is packed with significantly more protein. What a potential innovation to bring to our global food supply.The story: "A new type of rice being cultivated by the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India has many advantages over typical rice varieties -- it requires less water to grow, it's higher in protein and it emits less methane over its life cycle.This rice, which is not genetically modified but a hybrid crop, uses 60 percent less water than conventional rice crops. It only needs to be watered once a week even in arid climates and can go as long as 15...

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Small projects have wind in their sails

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Companies working toward energy independenceThe stalled state of wind farm development in Wisconsin has led to little development activity for large wind farms.But on a much smaller scale, wind projects are moving ahead as companies fulfill commitments to environmental and energy independence.In western Wisconsin, Organic Valley Cooperative and Gundersen Lutheran Health System have broken ground on a two-turbine wind project that will generate enough power to offset the energy use for Organic Valley's corporate headquarters and distribution center, as well as meet 5% of Gundersen Lutheran's energy needs.In southeastern Wisconsin, S.C. Johnson & Son has proposed building two or three turbines that would generate 1.5 megawatts...

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Renewable Energy Projects Around the World: How Much is Installed and Where

Interesting article and graph from Eco Geek on renewable energy projects getting built around the world. Let us know if any of these stats surprise you:Written by Megan Treacy on 14/11/11The Economist has put together a nice graphic using data from Enel showing exactly how many gigawatts of each type of renewable energy were installed as of 2010 and where that power was located. As of the end of last year, the world had a total of 1,313 GW of installed renewable energy projects.As of 2010, hydropower was still the global leader of renewable energy sources with 1,005 GW installed, but that could change in the coming years. Hydropower only increased in installed power by 3 percent from 2009, but solar power had the biggest year over year increase...

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RENEW Wisconsin hosts Renewable Energy Policy Summit, Jan. 13, 2012

REtaking Initiative - REframing Message - REvitalizing Economy 8:30 am - 4:00 pmPyle Center, UW-Madison Campus702 Langdon StreetMadison, WI 53703Wisconsin's renewable energy marketplace is going through a tumultuous period. We need to chart a new course for 2012 to address the ongoing policy uncertainties and emerging marketplace realities.RENEW WI invites stakeholders from around the state to join us in shaping the renewable energy community’s 2012 policy agenda.If you want to build or buy any part of today's energy economy, this is a conversation you want to be part of. Join RENEW members, businesses, energy customers, and legislators to craft a robust policy platform for renewable energy in Wisconsin.Breakout Groups will discuss strategies for: Expanding Market Access for Customers...

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Recent story in USA Today

USA Today just did a great study of stimulus funding into different companies, and the news, despite some set backs, was pretty good.Here's the headline: Stimulus funds helped some stocks soarOpening paragraph: "As Congress and the White House launch investigations into renewable-energy loan guarantees made to companies such as Solyndra under the 2009 stimulus bill and related legislation, a USA TODAY analysis shows that a series of public companies that got help have soundly beaten the stock market and most venture-capital funds raised in 2008."Even more impressive, and encouraging as far as the government's investment and growing ROI coming from these companies, is this chart: 'Stimulus' stocks in USA TODAY's analysisThe companies below were major beneficiaries of a $100 billion pot of...

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New Book

Thought everyone might be interested in this:The Power of Green - How Greener Products Can Help You Meet Customers’ Needs & Build Brand Loyalty SUMMARY:Excellent book! Sheds new and important light on the business case for why companies must provide greener and more sustainable products, as well as best practices for marketing greener products. Al Iannuzzi’s book will be of interest to corporations that desire to present new insights on how best to make greener products and for those of us in higher education, who seek to prepare the next generation of business leadership on now to make and market sustainable brands as part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve competitive advantage.—Robert L. Lattimer, Senior Fellow, Diversity Studies, John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development,...

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Additional information on tomorrow's show

Tomorrow's show will be jam packed with Frank calling in from CA, Al updating us from Project Get Ready and Gina from Boston talking to us about her recent test drive with the Chevy Volt.See our earlier post on how you can tune in and call in tomorrow.Feel free to post any comments here you want talked about on the show as well.We look forward to hearing from y...

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Radio Show tomorrow on WARL 1320 AM

As you know, we are live each Weds from 12-p, EST on WARL 1320 and on their worldwide stream.Tomorrow's show is focusing on electric vehicles. In studio with me is Tim from EcoNewsRI, a writer for their great, on-line newspaper, and an expert on EV's. We will have other guests calling in.Please call in with your comments and questions. Here are the numbers: (401)273-1555, -6734 & (508)967-6817.Feel free to listen on line and email, Tweet or send us a note through Facebook. No matter what, we will get it and get your comments and questions on the air.The like to their web site: http://1320warlradio.com/gs/We will have more news for you later tod...

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Motorola, Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg Sign up to Windmade Label

Major global companies including Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank and Bloomberg have produced or have pledged to procure at least 25 percent of their operations’ power consumption from wind energy.The companies will display this achievement using the “WindMade” badge – the world’s first wind power consumer label.Firms using the label can source the wind powered portion of their electricity through a company-owned wind power generation facility, a long-term power purchase agreement for wind power, or the purchase of high quality renewable energy certificates approved by WindMade.The exact percentage of the company’s wind energy share will be stated on the WindMade label.WindMade’s founder companies are:Motorola Mobility (mobile device and set-top manufacturer)Deutsche Bank (financial services...

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Mrs Green's World and the Chevy Volt

I will be interview at 2p, EST today for an hour on Mrs. Green's World, a wonderful, informative, vibrant show that is hosted by Mrs. Green each Saturday from Tuscon, AZ.  If you miss it today, it will be on demand on her site for weeks to come.Here's the link:  http://www.mrsgreensworld.com/  Please call in as well.More News:As you know, we spent last Saturday running test drives of the Chevy Volt at a sold out Farmer's Market.  We sold out test drives that day as well.Here's the link to the finished video, which we produced in conjunction with Eco News:  https://snt130.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855#fid=219b095b129941ef991819566136fe5d&n=702911449&mid=edeb3f15-11f8-11e1-b3db-002264c17d7c&fv=1Also,...

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Miners turn to renewable energy to cut costs

We were up in Toronto this week and found this great article in the Globe and Mail, which is a great newspaper:"Mining companies are gluttons when it comes to energy use as they haul, grind and process ore, but soaring costs and environmental concerns have many turning to cleaner alternatives.With energy now representing about 25 per cent of production costs, more companies are making huge long-term investments in wind, solar and other renewable energy projects to cut expenses and clean up their operations.Companies such as Barrick Gold Corp., Teck Resources Ltd. and Rio Tinto PLC have ambitious wind-farm projects under way that will reduce energy costs and provide the much-needed social benefit of showing the communities where...

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Thanks, again, to Mark Learn for the following good news on solar

Major Solar Cell Breakthrough About to Rock the Photovoltaic IndustryWritten by Science Progress   Wednesday, 02 November 2011 13:44Message :Investors: Get a free copy of our latest investment report: The Biggest Upside Stock in the Bakken Oil Formation. This junior company already has great operational success on its huge Bakken land position… and could very well be the next "Bakken Buyout."CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 12-PAGE REPORT."Too often, when talking about research and innovation on clean energy technologies, policymakers, pundits, and the media tend to assume that the biggest breakthrough will come from a completely novel technology. The discovery of some new and sexy clean energy technology will suddenly change...

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Interest in energy-efficiency program picks up

From an article by Sharif Durhams in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Maybe the cash rebates are responsible for the uptick in interest in a City of Milwaukee program designed to help consumers pay for energy-saving home improvements.Or maybe it was just a cold snap.In any case, the number of city residents signing up for the Milwaukee Energy Efficiency program, known as Me2, is picking up after a slow start. The program, financed by a federal stimulus grant, has a goal of getting at least 4,500 buildings retrofitted with insulation, more efficient furnaces and other green improvements over the next two years.So far about a tenth of that number of homeowners - 444 - have paid for the $100 energy assessments that are required for the program since it launched early this year. Ninety-three homeowners...

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In Toronto

We are up here this week and will be focusing on some of this city's efforts to craft a cleaner, brighter future.  In fact, tomorrow I will be calling into our weekly radio show (WARL 1320 AM, Weds, 12-1p, EST) from Toronto.Here's the first of our stories this week:  Toronto's Sustainable Energy PlanToronto is facing a growing number of challenges caused by our increasing energy use. Some of these challenges are:poor air quality and climate change caused by coal and fossil fuels potential rotating power losses (brownouts or blackouts) increasing energy costs, equalling almost $4.5 billion annually spent on energy purchases We listened to Torontonians and created the Climate Change, Clean Air and Sustainable Energy Plan. The plan has...

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Thanks to Mark Learn

For providing this story:Nissan to Market D.C. Fast Charger for Under $10,000By JIM MOTAVALLI"Nissan North America, with its partner Sumitomo, will market a 480-volt D.C. fast charger in the United States next year, the automaker announced Thursday night. The charger will sell for less than $10,000, a precipitous drop compared to units now on the market, which cost as much as $50,000.The charger, capable of 480 volts, was developed in tandem with the Sumitomo Corporation.Brendan Jones, the director of Leaf marketing and sales strategy at Nissan, said in an interview that large gas station chains were “a very big interested party.” He also said that deployment of the chargers would not be subsidized through the federally supported...

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Update on today's test drives at Farmer's Market

We had a great turnout today.  We spent over two hours satisfying everyone's quest to test drive the Chevy Volt.  Included in the crowd was Senator Miller, whose show with us will be on News 5 tomorrow morning at 9a (please tune in), and who is an important cog in finalizing RI's newest legislation aimed at pushing the State to the top of the sustainability heap.  He loved it and is ready to trade in his 12-year old car.Our thanks to everyone who packed the Farmer's Market and our back parking lot on a beautiful, sunny day.  It could not have been a better day for driving a brand new, very fun EV.Even more interesting, when we returned the car to Cerrone, we were told that the car, the one we had for 3 days, had sold to the Farelly brothers, and was shipping out...

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Gen. Wesley Clark on wind, veterans and energy security

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Come to a great Farmer's Market and test drive the Volt at the same time

What a great combination:  Strolling around the best, indoor Farmer's Market in the state, which is held every Sat at the Hope Artiste Village and, this Saturday, testing driving the Volt in between shopping.Make sure you click below on the link to reserve your spot.  The first 20 get a test drive, and we are getting close to hitting that number.  You can still come by and see the car, of course, but you can test drive only if you have a reservation.If you come, please post your comments on our blog, and also call into our live radio show next Weds, 12p-1p, on WARL 1320 (listen over the air or on line) and tell us how you like the car.Also, take a look at our video on this blog as I test drive the Volt and offer some comments...

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Illinois town aims to make electric cars … Normal

From an article by Kari Lydersenin Midwest Energy News:Normal, Illinois, is home to Mitsubishi’s only U.S. manufacturing plant, and residents of the town 130 miles southwest of Chicago are known for embracing sustainability and renewable energy. Many families have two incomes and two cars, and “are very educated and early adopters of technology,” in the words of Mayor Chris Koos.So about a year ago, Koos and other civic leaders decided to dub Normal and its adjacent “sister city,” Bloomington, “EVTown” and ask Mitsubishi to make it among the early destinations for its new all-electric car, the i-MiEV.As typically happens with electric and hybrid cars, Mistubishi will roll out the i-MiEV in larger coastal markets first. Drivers in smaller towns, especially in the Midwest, will have to wait...

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Thank you to Al Cerrone and GM for letting us test drive the Volt

Interesting day yesterday.  We did our first live, call-in show (and thank you to those of you who contacted us during the show), and Al Cerrone called in and offered to let us take a Chevy Volt for three days to test drive and report back to our readers and viewers.  Thank you so much, Al and GM, for this opportunity.Funny that Sierra Club just reported on their test drive as well.  In a word, if you ask us about the Volt: GREAT.It is easy to use, charge (I plugged it in last night, into my normal outside outlet, running at 120, and it was charged this morning), very comfortable, great creature comforts, including free satellite radio and free On Star, fantastic information systems on the mile range of both electric and...

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A bright idea from Milwaukee

From an article by Dan Haugen in Midwest Energy News:A mobile app that helps people perform their own home lighting audits is the winner of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “Apps for the Environment” challenge. Light Bulb Finder was created by a Milwaukee, Wisc., app developer called Eco Hatchery. Co-founders Adam Borut and Andrea Nylund learned they won the challenge last week, and on Tuesday they’ll be in Washington, D.C., to accept the recognition. . . .The app was released for iPhone and Android in late 2010. It lets people walk around their home and use icons to identify the type of bulb currently used in each light fixture. After entering a zip code and the estimated daily hours of use for each bulb, the app suggests more efficient replacement bulbs, as well as a detailed projection...

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Sierra Club issues notice of intent to sue We Energies for coal ash spill

A news release from the Sierra Club:Madison, Wisconsin - Today, the Sierra Club issued a Notice of Intent to sue We Energies for the October 31 flood of coal ash into Lake Michigan when an old landfill located on the bluff collapsed at a construction site at the company’s Oak Creek coal plant.“We Energies must be held responsible for the toxic mess at the bottom of Lake Michigan,” explained Jennifer Feyerherm of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. “We Energies has essentially turned Lake Michigan, a national treasure that supplies drinking water to over 10 million people, into a coal ash dump. We Energies filled a ravine next to Lake Michigan with coal ash, and it is that ash that now lies at the bottom of the lake. This was a predicted and preventable disaster.”A biologist from the Southeastern...

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We are live today from 12-1p EST on WARL 1320 AM

Today, we do our first live, call-in radio show, and look forward to having you call in , tweet us or email us directly or off of Facebook.  Go to: http://www.ecori.org/ and click on the banner ad for the show which will bring you to a video that will profile the new radio show.  You can reach us right through EcoRInews or through the radio station at:  http://1320warlradio.com/gs/ or call us at:  (401)273-1555, -(401) 273-6734 & (508)967-6817.You can listen over the air on WARL 1320 AM, or listen on the stations stream at:  http://1320warlradio.com/gs/The show will run live every Weds, same time, and from 1-2p the station will be carrying the audio from the TV shows that you can see on the Arpin Broadcast Network (arpin.tv.com) or on News Channel...

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Facts on wind installations trump myths

Michael Vickerman's letter-to-the-editor of the Racine Journal Times:Dear Editor:In his November 3rd letter opposing S.C. Johnson’s proposed wind development in Mt. Pleasant, Tom Joy rattles off a number of myths about wind turbines that populate the Internet. However, the facts on the ground paint a very different picture of wind generation than what Mr. Joy represents.First, there is no medically credible study out there that concludes or suggests that wind generation is a threat to human health. According to Dr. Jevon McFadden, a public health professional serving on Wisconsin’s Wind Siting Council, “Evidence does not support the conclusion that wind turbines cause or are associated with adverse health outcomes.”If the experience elsewhere in Wisconsin is any guide, the proposed wind...

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United Launching Biofuel Flight Today, with Alaska on Its Heels

Congratulations to United and Alaska Air for starting to fly on a mix of bio-fuels.  Such a transformation, across the aviation industry, including regional and private fleets, would help clean our skys and make it easier for us to offset our travel carbon footprint.Even better, the mix is a use of algae-based bio-fuel, which puts less pressure on the food supply, not using corn, and helps grow a new product that has amazing uses and potential.  The perfect win-win, we think, between helping the global economy and protecting the envirnonment.  Take a look and let the airlines know you endorse and support this transition to bio-fuels:  http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/11/07/united-alaska-biofuel-flights-taking-off-this-week/Part of the story:  " United Airlines...

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Andy Rooney

We note, with sadness, the passing of Andy Rooney.Couple of interesting quotes that Andy left behind that offer insight and value here: "Making duplicate copies and computer printouts of things no one wanted even one of in the first place is giving America a new sense of purpose."Andy Rooney"Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done."Andy RooneyDespite the large-scale projects and changes that we, many times, focus on there, it is very much all of us, collectively, doing small things to reduce our footprint, that will be the heart of soul of transforming the world to a cleaner, more sustainable planet.Innovations, like computers, and as Mr. Rooney pointed out, bring...

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The sweetest, greenest spot on the planet

Interesting article from Terra Pass on one US city's tremendous work in reducing emissions.  On the surface, a great model for all cities, in every part of the world.That ciity is...San Francisco. How is this for some progress:  "On October 19, Mayor Ed Lee announced that San Francisco has already achieved a 12 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels, amidst an increasing population and an increase in electricity consumption. This is an extraordinary accomplishment - it surpasses the Kyoto target of 7 percent reduction by 2012 as well as the recently passed AB 32 measure calling for a return to 1990 levels. If you’re more numbers-inclined, check out these pretty bar charts (.pdf) and graphs (.pdf)."Now,...

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U.S. Residential Renewable Energy Consumption, by Source 1990-2010

Some interesting charts/graphs in Environmental Leader this week.  Here's the first:  We publish a second one tomorrow:U.S. Residential Renewable Energy Consumption, by Source 1990-2010ShareE-Mail this ch...

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