From: renewableenergyworld.com

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Novato-based SolarCraft announced the completion of a solar electric system at the newly completed Rohnert Park City Center Plaza. City Center Plaza is adjacent to the public safety building and the library, three-quarters of an acre filled with benches, a fountain, water spout for children and a small lawn area.

Novato-based SolarCraft designed and installed a solar electric system at the newly completed Rohnert Park City Center Plaza to power all common area lightening and the fountain pump.

The solar energy system installed by SolarCraft utilizes SunPower 225 watt solar panels, the most efficient panel on the market today. The new system powers all common area lighting as well as the fountain pump. The system is mounted on custom-built pedestals to blend with the aesthetics of the Plaza.
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The Panasonic EverLED. This bulb is expected to produce the light equivalent of a 40watt incandescent for up to 19 years of regular use. The expected savings is listed as up to $23 a year on energy bills. This is great since they are expecting the bulb to sell for $40.

This is technology that we need to watch.

I could not find an article with much more information than I have shared here. The bulb is supposed to debut in Japan in October this year.

Governor Schwarzenegger has vowed to veto the new legislature approved energy standard because it limits power production to inside the state only. The Governor plans to issue an executive order for 33% of the states power to be produced by renewable sources by 2020 without the in-state limit.

Either way, California will end up with the largest renewable energy standard in the country. The state is already requiring its largest utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 - a goal none of them are likely to meet.

Don't get the wrong idea. Oil is still generally bad as a long term energy source. We can not afford the greenhouse effect it contributes and the supplies are still finite. Even if we have made mistakes in our estimate of sites or quantities, what we do know for sure is that nature takes millions of years to create the stuff. We have used the bulk of it in less than 100 years. So even basic math should tell you we are going to run out at our current pace.

What I want to share with you today is that a new oil deposit has been found and that the pro-oil groups and naysayers will use it as an example that oil is alive and strong. This is a clear mis-conception. The oil just discovered will only prolong our current use rate by 1 month.

This is like discovering you forgot an entry in your bank register and there was rebate or refund for something you already purchased. The money is not new, just forgotton or not accounted for. Now you have an extra $10 you didn't know about. It feels like free money or a new discovery, but it was there all along. Also, it will not go far. As an extra $10 is nice and will upgrade lunch for 1 person, this oil find is similarly small when considered what we use globally.

Follow the related link to find out more from the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC).

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Websites dedicated to helping you trade what you no longer want or need. Swap books, music, DVDs, or video games via mail through Swaptree ,SwapaDVD , PaperBackSwap , SwapaCD , BookMooch, TitleTrader, Game Trading Zone.

Trade kids' stuff you no longer need at Freepeats, Kizoodle, Tots Swap Shop , Swap Baby Goods , Hand-Me-Downs or UandITrade.

Women can swap clothing and accessories at DignSwap and at Swapstyle.

One of my personal favorites around the Bay area is Craigslist.org. Another good one is Freecycle.org.

There are plenty of other sources like these. Knowing about them is half the battle, and using them is the rest. Take advantage of these, it is good for the environment and your pocketbook.