From the most recent article:

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By now, you've probably seen the grim statistics about plastic water bottles. The issue seems to be getting more and more media coverage lately. In case you haven't heard the case against bottled water, here's a brief summary:

Pollution: 38 billion plastic water bottles are thrown out each year, contributing to a frightening "plastic stew" in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas.

Health: Bottled water is not necessarily more "pure" and "healthful" than tap water, despite what water packaging may have us believe. Plastic bottles leach harmful chemicals such as PET and BPA (see below), and 40% of bottled water is merely filtered tap water anyway.

Value: Even though 90% of tap water in the United States is proven to be as clean or cleaner than bottled water, manufacturers charge (and we pay) 1,900 times what it costs them to make their product.

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Follow the related link for the rest of the article.

From left to right: Fluence, Twizy, Zoe, Kangoo


At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault introduced 4 concept cars that are all electric, not hybrid, electric only. These cars cover city transit, family, commercial and general use categories.


The Twizy city car has a 15kW motor while the Zoe has a 70kW motor. The Fluence family car offers 100 mile range on a full charge and motor size was not specified. The Kangoo offers a 70kW motor as well as solar panels to extend its range.

All 4 cars have 3 charging options, standard multiple hour charging at a charge station, 20 minute quick charge and the Quickdrop system where the battery is exchanged in less than 3 minutes.

The last option, Quickdrop, will of course require a station set up for the process. Renault is working with "Project Better Place" for the battery swapping.

To find out more or read the press release, follow the related link.

PS - Keep in mind, these are concept cars, we may or may not see them on the road someday.

With some materials and airflow design enhancements, Eternaleds Inc. has cut the cost of LED light bulbs by about 40%. This means a return on investment over incandescent of only 2 years. Up till now, the pay back for the difference in cost has been 3 to 4 years depending on the average number of hours the light is used.

The Eternaleds Quanta-9 uses 9W to provide the light equivalent of 50W incandescent floodlights while the Quanta-18 uses 18W to provide the light equivalent of 100W incandescent floodlights. Both have a rated lifetime of 35,000 hours.

Read the press release at the related link below.

If you would like to offset your carbon footprint from air travel, you will be able to buy tree plantings right at the airport. The funds will go to local carbon offset projects and the Garcia River Forest, a previously deforested conservation based management project.

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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